You'll be Safe Here
by demoNiko
Summary: AU Fiction. A small act of compassion apparently gets the small-town dreamer, Haruno Sakura, in some trouble with a gang called Akatsuki in Central City. Who can shield her from the members who are targeting her as she lives her dream? No other than Uchiha Itachi, a ghost from the untold past of her boyfriend, Uchiha Sasuke.
1. Troublesome Compassion

Yey! I finally got started on this fic! Okay, honestly, it was almost a week since I finished the first chapter but I barely had time to upload it. I apologize.

I'll be updating irregularly but rest assured that I will not abandon my account for a year ever again. I regret that now. Deeply. But I'm sorry if I take too long with the updates because it's really hard for me now that I'm in college. Sure, I have a lot of time on my hands but I still haven't adjusted to the lifestyle yet.

I hope you enjoy reading this. I'm really excited about this fic because it involves guns and the modern world. It's my first AU fic too!

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**Chapter I**  
_Troublesome Compassion_

Not a speck of blue in the sky as thick clouds hovered over the buildings and towers. In about an hour or two, rain would pour down mercilessly upon them. She could feel the humidity that was accompanied by occasional cool breezes all around. Maybe she was right to wear a simple green shirt that fit her torso well with dark skinny pants after all. Sakura would have enjoyed the feel of the breeze if not for the smell of smoke all around.

Sakura was not an avid fan of smoke belching cars which were the first thing that caught her attention when she arrived in The Central City. This city was four hours away from her hometown, Konoha, by car. But her trip took even longer because the bus she'd taken was moving _as slow as fuck_, as the man who sat beside her in the bus this morning put it. It took about five and a half hours for them to reach The Central City.

This place was the center of all the towns and was the heart of the whole country. All the towns—from Suna to Mist—surrounded the busy commercial city. It was where the small town dreamers headed to after high school or college. Education at The Central was the best and job opportunities sprung from all nooks of this city.

However, this city is also hit the top list when it came to the country's crime rate. Gamblers, smugglers, gangs and all sorts of illegal activities could be found in this town and crimes for the Centralites—people who lived in The Central City since birth or for a long time—were not a surprise. In fact, everyone in this city must have some deadly weapon somewhere in their bags or clothes to be able to defend themselves.

The Central had them all—from world-class doctors and lawyers to the dirtiest and most sinister criminals to ever live. People from the towns all around knew this place was a city where dreams come true but ironically a city where hopes die because of the unusually high crime rate.

Sakura was not afraid. In fact, it would always send a thrill down her spine whenever she thought of this city. A city full of trouble was one that needed help—help that she was willing to offer any day.

Haruno Sakura arrived here, in The Central City, as a student-volunteer to the most well-known hospital known as Central City Medical. The hospital offered a three-week special doctor-to-student internship and on the last three days, they would be sent on field as volunteers to help the depressed areas of the city. She could care less about the internship if not for the fact that the legendary doctor, Tsunade, was the one who picked her out of the 47 qualified applicants for the program.

She was supposed to meet with Tsunade today after lunch in a restaurant called Gamble-Anza just across the hospital. Sakura could easily recognize the reason as to why the doctor picked the restaurant for Tsunade was fairly notorious for her unluckiness in gambling. Many wealthy gamblers named her Unlucky Strike and those amateur opponents would simply call her a dumb gambler.

The phone she usually kept in her pocket vibrated lightly before sounding an old telephone ring. She was all about simplicity. She found it annoying when people used songs as their ringtone when most of the time, the user only hears the intro if not the first words of the song.

Sakura pulled the phone out of her pocket and looked at the caller's name before bringing it to her ear. "Naruto?"

"_Sakura-chan," _the voice on the other end exclaimed. _"Did you arrive already? What's it like? Is it raining there right now? Where are you? Have you found a place to stay in? Can you—"_

"Naruto," she sighed. The voice on the other end of the line automatically stopped. "I'm fine. I'll tell you about the city later because I just arrived and I have to look for the Gamble-Anza to meet with Tsunade-sensei and to find shelter because it looks like it's about to rain."

"_Oh," _whispered Naruto._"Well, be careful. You know what that place is like. You heard Kakashi-sensei in class. Don't worry; I'll keep Sasuke entertained while you're gone."_

She narrowed her eyes at the last sentence as she pulled her little bag behind her as she made her way on the sidewalk. "Why am I so scared about you keeping Sasuke company?"

"_No worries, I swear. I won't do anything reckless this time. In fact, I won't do anything at all to your precious boyfriend,"_ Sakura couldn't help a smile when she heard the word. _"It's a shame you won't be able to spend the rest of autumn break with us. Have fun with your volunteer-thing. Say hi to Tsunade-dono for me and if you run into anyone we know like Yamato-sensei, send my regards. Stay safe, Sakura-chan! Bye!"_

She sensed a smile in the loud man's voice and her smile widened. "I will. You too, Naruto. Be careful. Bye." And with that, she put her phone back in her pocket and began to look around. If only she could find a guard or anyone she could ask directions to the hospital.

_Bang!_

A gun was shot, Sakura was sure of it. Because their house was near a police station back home, she could easily distinguish a gunshot. No one panicked. In fact, it was like they haven't heard anything. Centralites continued as they did like they didn't hear anything. She wasn't surprised though but she was starting to think if the sound was produced in her head.

Great. She was here a few minutes and it was driving her nuts already.

Suddenly, from out of an alley, a brunet appeared in his uniform, holding his own waist and his white polo drenched and spattered with blood. She gasped at the sight, dropped her bag on the sidewalk and walked quickly to assist the man. He didn't move away when she helped him sit on the ground with his back against the wall. Sakura took the hand covering the wound and moved it away. She didn't flinch at the sight of the open wound. She was used to it. Things in Konoha were more decent compared to The Central City's but punishments were still not pretty.

"Hell, it hurts," he groaned.

She looked at him, furious when she immediately realized that he had a gun and looked seventeen—just her own age! "It should hurt real bad," she said firmly. "Wait here." Quickly, she rushed to her bag and zipped it open, searching for her first aid kit. After finally finding it, she began treating the man's waist without difficulties. After applying a gauze pad, she advised him to rush to a clinic or a hospital at once before he began bleeding again. "I haven't taken the bullet out yet so best tell me where the hospital is so I can take you."

"I'll take it from here," a low yet very feminine voice commanded from behind her. She slowly turned and widened her eyes at the golden haired busty woman who stood proudly. "You did well on treating the wound, kid." Tsunade said as she approached the injured boy to help him up.

"Thank you," she got to her feet and bowed before the doctor. "I'm Haruno Sakura."

The doctor smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad to have met my student, finally. I was beginning to wonder where you were." She looked at the injured then back at Sakura. "Call a cab. We'll be taking this man to the emergency room. I don't suppose you know how to take the bullet out?" Sakura shook her head. "I guessed not. You're only seventeen, anyway. Go."

Sakura did as told and while Tsunade helped him in the cab, Sakura repacked her belongings and followed after, jumping into the passenger seat while the professional attended to him at the back. No sooner, the pink-haired teenager caught sight of the hospital's gates and the meeting place, Gamble-Anza, as well.

Tsunade ordered the guards for a stretcher and nurses rushed out from the emergency room and checked him. The professional asked Sakura to wait in the lobby while she finished her work before they got to know each other a little better. The younger did not argue and sat in the lobby, playing with the handle of her pull bag.

It only took Tsunade an hour before she left the emergency room in a white coat and a face mask. She took a seat beside Sakura. A smile was seen when she pulled her mask down as she looked at Sakura. "That was very impressive first aid knowledge, Haruno," she mused. "To think that you're only about to go to college and you can save a life like that."

"Thank you," said Sakura humbly. "How is he? He's… Just as old as me if not a little older," she whispered. "What happened to him?"

Tsunade scoffed. "Who? That guy who got shot in the gut? He's no problem. Taro always pulls through. He's like a regular patient in the emergency room. He's a college student in Central City College and a part of a gang so you realize why we know him well. There was never a month when he wasn't on the verge of death. I swear, one more visit in this hospital and I _will_ kill him myself." Sakura nodded slightly, trying to control her shock. He was just in college and yet he'd been close to losing his life several times. "Don't worry. It's not rare around these parts. There are gangs everywhere," Tsunade continued, standing up and offering Sakura her hand. "Let's go to his room if you're that worried. Is it your first time here?"

"Yes," she said, taking her hand and following after her.

"Then Taro will be the perfect person to orient you about this city since he knows every angle, every nook and every atom of this place," she laughed.

Tsunade took her to the room where they sent the college student to rest. When they entered, he was on the bed, the covers pulled halfway on his bare torso. He was fast asleep when she took the seat beside the bed. Only now did Sakura get to look at him up close and took note that his face looked more youthful than she first realized. If she didn't know any better, she would assume he was a year younger than her. She didn't bother remembering that his hair was a shade of dirty blonde but she did take note of the roughness of his hands. She didn't hold them but she could see the scars and wounds. If someone examined his hand carefully, it wouldn't take them a second to figure out that this boy constantly got into a fight.

Her trail of thought ended when Tsunade informed her that her training would start tomorrow afternoon before the pale-haired lady left Sakura to watch the patient.

After a few hours of waiting on the chair while reading a horror novel, she heard Taro groan. When Sakura had lifted her head from the book, his blanket had been carelessly thrown on the floor. He was rushing to get his shoes on while his head scanned the room for his shirt which he found draped on the couch across his bed.

Sakura was mortified, seeing this patient who had almost been dead moving about recklessly. He was ruining his stitches!

"Hey, hey, hey!" Sakura exclaimed as she watched Taro cross the room in one fluid move to retrieve his shirt. "You're not fully recovered yet. You should rest for a few days and—"

She shut her mouth when she heard Taro click his tongue at her while he put on his shirt. "Little miss," he said in a tone that tried hard to sound polite. "I should tell you that I really shouldn't stay in one place for too long. Someone out there is dying to kill me and I'm itching to murder the sick asshole as well. That's something I can't do if I stay in this place even for a few hours. So thank you for saving my life, pinky. Hope to see you again if I live through this week and, well, bye."

"Wait!" She wanted to chase after him when he stepped out of the room briskly but Tsunade stopped her in her tracks and shook her head.

"Let him be," said Tsunade. "He's always been like that. We tried stopping him the first time but he swore to stab himself if we didn't let him go. Kids like him; they can't stay in one place for too long. If they didn't have a choice, they would choose to kill themselves rather than let a member from an enemy gang kill them."

The pink-haired teenager frowned. "That's awful."

The woman gifted with a chest nodded, "Yes, it is. But it's the reality for those students who chose to join their gangs in this city. Tragic as it is, it's already normal for students of Central City College to die. Of course, we do regret it when we know we can't save the dying but there's nothing we can do except hope that those gangs will be wiped out little by little over the years. Unfortunately, in the last year, members of illegal groups have increased. The death rate rose as well. You will hear gunshots frequently and it is very rare that someone survives because most of the population of this city doesn't seem to give a damn about the kids who die by other kids' hands."

Sakura felt bad and fortunate at the same time. She felt awful for the students who were constantly running and living in fear and paranoia.

A phone rang and by the way Tsunade checked the pocket of her coat, she was definite it was not her own. Tsunade answered the phone formally and answered whoever was on the other side briefly before shoving the phone back in her pocket.

"I have to go to a meeting," she told Sakura. "It's gonna be a while. How about you take a stroll around the city? Try the Fran District. It's pretty secure there considering it's sort of a place-to-be for government officials so you can just imagine all the armed bodyguards with them as well. Have you found a place to stay in, by the way?" Sakura shook her head. "Well, I suggest you start looking before it gets dark. It looks like it's going to rain too. You better get started."

"Thank you, I will," Sakura said before pulling her bag behind her to leave.

Once outside, she checked her phone for any message she might have missed but all there was for her to see was a message from Sasuke that had come in her phone late. He wished her a pleasant travel and luck in her training.

She smiled. He was growing fond of her, she knew. Not that he was not fond of her in the first place. They were dating after all and he'd been the one to ask her this time. After years of constantly pining on Sasuke, she could finally say out loud that her efforts were worth it. And though Sasuke was not at all lovey-dovey with her, she was fine with him simply reciprocating her affection. Ino was pissed the first time, of course, but it didn't matter. She had the new student, Sai, to flirt with now.

Sliding the phone back in her pocket, she sensed an intense presence near her and a pair of eyes burning a hole on her. Whoever it was, she didn't know but she could tell that he was approaching her and fast.

Her head lifted for her eyes to meet his. She gasped inwardly when she found herself looking into ebony eyes that resembled Sasuke's so much that if it wasn't for the dark lines under his eyes, she could have sworn it was her boyfriend standing before her. His hair seemed smoother and was longer. She noted the way it was tied up in a low ponytail behind him.

He was less than a meter away and his voice was low but it was enough to make his question clear to her.

"You are the young lady who saved Takaru Taro, correct?"

She took notice of the gun holster he hid under his black shirt that was carelessly peeking from the hem. She gulped before looking at his face once more and warily answered. "Yes?"

He marched towards her and took her tightly by the wrist. "Come with me," he muttered quickly as he pulled her to follow him. She tugged on her bag as well.

She could tell by the roughness and the tight grip of his touch that whoever this man was, he was certainly no different from the man who almost died earlier. They were the same. This man was a part of a gang. He was trouble.

He paused for a moment to check his phone but never letting go of her like she did her bag. After putting it back in the back pocket of his black sweatpants, he led her down in a small alley and pushed her against the wall with his free hand on her mouth. He let go of her wrist and pulled out the gun from the holster causing her eyes to widen in panic. She couldn't scream, of course. Not with his hand covering her mouth roughly like he did.

"Keep quiet. Stay here," he ordered before turning away to leave her alone.

Two simple commands yet she felt like disobeying both. She wanted to scream in fear and runaway from him but something in his tone conveyed a warning. Her heart was beating so hard, it felt like a bass drum in her chest. She was sweating and was shaky on the knees. However, her desire to escape died down as she heard her captor's voice. It was faint but she could still understand every word. He didn't seem like he was far away from where he had left her.

"I'm still waiting for the girl," he said straightly. "Have some patience, Hidan. She still hasn't left the hospital."

A voice replied, rougher and less friendly than the first speaker's voice. Not that the dark man's voice was friendly in the first place but something about the second voice made her feel nervous. "Good," the nerve-wrecking voice said. "I fucking swear that if I didn't have any other shit needed to be done today, I would cut her fucking head off myself. The little bitch doesn't know what shit she's getting herself into. That little Taro fuck is a hard bastard to kill, isn't he? It's been seven months since I received the assignment."

"You are simply at the wrong places at the wrong times," the smoother voice said. "Taro is merely lucky if not clever to crawl out into the public for someone to notice him in his dying state. He must be cunning and wary now that there are only three of them left in their gang. It'll be harder to track them but easier to get rid of them. And don't worry about the girl. I'll dispose of her the first second I see her."

Sakura's blood went cold when she heard the sound of a gun being prepared. Her body tensed, preparing to flee for her life.

"You better make it brutal as fuck," he snapped. "I really thought I had Taro dead this time," he groaned. "I'm fucking counting on you, Uchiha." Sakura's wish to escape once again was forgotten at the sound of a familiar name. "Now, if you excuse me, I will have to report to leader about another failed job. I'll be hearing it this time," he groaned.

Hidan. Whoever that man was, he was the reason Taro had been visiting the hospital often. He was certainly determined to kill Taro. Maybe it was more of a personal grudge. Whatever it was, he sure was maniacal about taking the blonde's life. And he had a bad mouth as well compared to the man who had brought her here whose voice was as smooth as velvet and his vocabulary as formal and polite as can be.

That man was an _Uchiha_ and there was no mistaking what she heard. She knew only one Uchiha and she couldn't help but wonder if they were related. This man resembled Sasuke so much after all. But from what Sasuke had told her and Naruto, his whole family died during a reunion on a tragic boat ride. Perhaps he didn't know there was another survivor. Perhaps he didn't tell them. Or perhaps they were not related at all.

But the last could not be true. Sasuke's masculine features could also be seen on this man's face and their eyes were too much of a match.

His approaching presence knocked her out of her thoughts. This man, who was now staring towards her, swore to kill her at first sight. And though he technically didn't kill her the first time he laid eyes on her, she couldn't be so sure if he was going to let her go. He seemed like a man who seemed to keep his word one way or another.

"Your act of compassion has complicated things for you. I should escort you home to avoid any casualties," he uttered all of a sudden. "Where do you stay?"

She shook her head faintly, her fear-filled eyes never leaving his calm pair. "I just arrived in town this afternoon and I haven't found a place to stay in yet so—"

"Then I suggest you return home, if that is the case. This city does not have place for someone with compassion. It never was safe for people like you," he said, looking down on her, his eyes piercing deep in hers. His attention was diverted, however, as he looked up in the sky.

Sakura understood why when she felt something cold and small hit her skin. It was a drizzle and in several minutes, it would be pouring rain. A loud clap of thunder sounded shortly. She quickly raised her hands to brace herself and fought to keep a neutral expression though she failed in masking the way her eyes widened. She didn't know it but the Uchiha saw it in the corner of his eye.

"This weather is not suitable for safe traveling," he walked towards her bag and picked it off the ground easily with one hand. "If you do not have a place to stay in, I have a decent place where you can wait for the rain to let up. That is; if you wish to come with me."

He didn't really give her a choice, did he? He was already carrying her luggage with him.

The dark man's house was only a few blocks away from the alley. But as they walked, Sakura could not avoid thinking that this man, whoever Uchiha this was, looked so much like her boyfriend. She couldn't help but wonder how things would be if she was born and raised here. Would she have been hooked up on this man as much as she had been so in love with Sasuke over the years? Probably, considering the way she found him interesting.

When they arrived in front of Uchiha's apartment, it was already raining. They were nearly soaked in rainwater. Fortunately, the drops were not as heavy as Sakura anticipated them to be.

He set her bag down and opened the door with the key he'd pulled out of his front pocket. After pushing the wooden forward, he took her bag again and placed it just beside the door where he took off his sneakers. Sakura did the same with her doll shoes and entered his home while he disappeared into one of the three rooms. He didn't even bother opening the lights but there was a faint glow from outside and it was easy enough for her to make out what his living room looked like.

By the way the living room was decorated, she could tell that he was man of practicality and simplicity. He only had what was necessary in a living room. One brown couch and a recliner to match; a small television set and; a coffee table that looked like it had been turned over in anger a few times.

A small cabinet on one side of the room caught her attention. It was full of certificates, medals, small trophies and picture frames. On the first level were the small trophies arranged neatly. All were from debate competitions. He really loved to argue, didn't he? The second level of the cabinet was filled with small laminated certificates and medals decorated the spaces. _Uchiha Itachi_, she read the certificate quietly. His name was Itachi. And on the last row were pictures. There was a picture of him shaking hands with who she assumed was a teacher. There was one high school graduation portrait where he looked so much like Uchiha Sasuke if not for the long hair. In the middle of the other pictures was one with an extravagant frame. It was a picture of him looking much younger with a dark-haired baby in his hands.

Could that be? No, it couldn't have been. But the hair said it all.

"Find anything interesting?" She regained composure and faced Itachi. "I see you've finally found my trophies from my high school and college debate competitions," he mused, tossing her a towel. "Wipe yourself dry. If you have a change of clothes, the bathroom is over there," he gestured to the door farthest from where he had come from. "When the rain stops, we'll find you a bus going home and then—"

"I'm not going home," she interrupted. "I'm staying in this city. I still have something I need to do."

"I see," he sighed, bringing the towel to his head to dry his raven locks. "Well then, suit yourself. But please keep in mind that The Central is far different from your little Konoha Town."

She looked at him indifferently. "How did you know I was from Konoha?"

He stopped ruffling the towel on his head and looked at her for a moment before shrugging at her question. "Your accent would be very foreign to me if not for the fact that I've heard it a thousand times."

"Your accent isn't any different from mine," she interrupted quickly.

"Ah, that is because we speak the same accent."

If they spoke the same accent, then he must have come from the same place. Could it be that he actually was related to Uchiha Sasuke if he really were from Konoha Town? Her eyes narrowed down on him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

He smirked at her, "I am Uchiha Itachi, proud product of Konoha Town and student in Central City College." He reached out his free hand while he used the other one to rub the towel in his hair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno."

She looked back and forth at his hand and face. She could not believe this man actually knew who she was. She didn't even know him for an hour. Who was this person and how did he acquire her name and her hometown? This man, no longer a stranger to her because he had given a name, was dangerous and she was sure he knew well who she was by the smug look in his eye.

Who was Uchiha Itachi?

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_**End of Chapter I**_


	2. A Restless Rest

**I'm sorry this took so long. I haven't started on the third chapter yet and our preliminary exams are on the first week of August. I was supposed to make a fan fiction for Sasuke because it was his birthday yesterday but tough luck because I was busy working on my own book yesterday. I'm going to post my original stories on FictionPress... Once I start being active there.**

**I don't think I'll be updating in at least two weeks. I can't tell you I've been busy studying this past week but I'm really trying my best to catch up on schoolworks. I'm really sorry.**

**And just thinking out loud here since I just had a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon the other day... WHY DIDN'T ELIZABETH END UP WITH JACK? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, THERE'S MORE CHEMISTRY GOING ON BETWEEN THEM THAN IN A CHEMISTRY LABORATORY. Kidding. BUT SHE HAD SOMETHING MORE GOING ONE WITH JACK THAN WILL. I really want to make a fan fiction where the ending is different but I'm not familiar with pirate dialogues and the like. Anyway, just frustrated because I loved Johnny Depp so much in those movies.**

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**Chapter II  
**_A Restless Rest_

It was very clear to him that she did not wish to shake his hand without an explanation. And so, respecting her silent decision, he withdrew his hand and passed her by to enter the kitchen which was technically the living room as well if not for the small cabinet he used both as a display for his achievements and a room divider.

"I will brew the both of us some coffee," he said casually as he hung the towel around his neck and reached for the cupboard. "If you wish to change, the bathroom is where it was when I first showed it to you though I suggest you take a shower. The rain was colder than I assumed it would be. It would be better if you did not catch a cold."

Sakura did not seem to hear a word that Itachi spoke. She was too busy in her own little world, staring at nothing in particular as she tried to take it all in. Scared as she was that this man knew something about her, she was curious to find out something about him as well… Like how he knew her.

Her head slowly turned to his direction. Fortunately, he'd given up on the view of her and rummaged in the cupboard.

Taking the chance, she started to her bag and lay it down on the floor. She pulled the zipper open and retrieved a shirt before securing it close once again. It took her at least five minutes before she stepped out of the bathroom with her previous shirt in her hand.

Itachi was now sitting on the couch with a brown mug no doubt filled with coffee. The couch had its back on her and so did he but she could tell that he was not going to bother drinking from his mug until she sat with him by the way he looked at the dark screen of the television.

She sighed, gathering the courage to walk over and leisurely sit beside him as if she'd been here before. She slung the shirt on the armrest and settled beside him, leaving just enough space for another person to sit between them. Sharing a couch was enough. She didn't feel like closing in on him. He was still a stranger after all.

Itachi leaned to the coffee table and took her mug and handed it to her. She accepted it and held it in both hands, thankful for the warmth it radiated. He was right—the rain really was cold.

"Have you figured it out yet?" He asked then finally taking a sip from his mug. It was short. He probably burned his tongue halfway in the sip.

"The baby in the picture," she started, "It's Sasuke, isn't it?"

Itachi smiled and gave her a nod. "It wasn't at all difficult to tell, was it? Some things never change after all," stated the man before sipping once more from his mug, this time, longer. "I assume you're wondering how I know your name and where you come from. Well, your hometown is not at all hard to figure out. Yet, knowing your name must really be bothering you as of now." She nodded, drinking from hers while her eyes shifted to the cabinet once again. "I asked for your name," he answered bluntly. "From a professor in Konoha Academy. He's an old acquaintance of mine—Kakashi." Her head snapped back in his direction. "I called to check in on my little brother and he informed me that he was out with a lovely young lady named Haruno Sakura." His eyes pulled away from hers and landed on her pink locks. "It wasn't at all hard to put two and two together when I saw your hair and heard you speak."

She did not have anything to say to that. Instead, the two of them remained quiet for minutes, letting the rain outside make up for the lack of sound in his apartment. The silence was killing her. Without him talking, there was nothing to distract her from the fact that it was starting to cool down a little in his place. She needed to keep the conversation going for her to ignore the inviting heat from Itachi's body. And it wasn't at all hard for her since he did her a favor and began speaking again.

"How is Sasuke?"

Not sure what he was asking about, she answered, "He's doing fine. His grades are slightly higher than mine and though his conduct is not as good, it could have been worse."

Itachi smiled again, only this time, he was fighting it but failing. "Does he have someone else close to him besides you?"

Now she got what he wanted to know—Sasuke's social life. She drank almost half of her coffee before starting. "He has Naruto, another classmate. They fight every now and then but the reasons are pretty shallow and their fight ends up seeming real petty. Kakashi-sensei is also looking out for him though now, I can understand why. Jiraiya, the school counselor, is keeping a good eye on him… Too…" She trailed off, noticing the subtle pleasant expression on his face. He looked more peaceful than he did earlier and it bothered her so. "What is Sasuke to you, anyway?"

"He's my little brother," he answered briefly before taking a long drink. When he'd emptied his cup, he walked back in the kitchen, obviously not wanting to answer any more questions. Sakura didn't know his relation with Sasuke until today so she probably didn't know the story yet. "When the rain lets up, we'll take you to the bus station and have you sent back home," he said. "I can't let my brother's girlfriend run around in this dump."

She quickly set her mug on the coffee table and stood to protest. "No," she said firmly. "I don't have to go home. Besides, Sasuke knew how dangerous this place was and he let me go. He's not as worried as you think he is," Sakura stated in a matter-of-fact tone."I'll be fine in this city. I'll only be here for three weeks."

"Three weeks is long enough for Hidan to find out I have not killed you as promised and it certainly is enough time for him to hunt you down and kill you himself," he said firmly, his eyes fixated on hers with a warning look. "Do you think your friend, Sasuke, would not worry about you?"

"My _boyfriend_ let me go to this place despite knowing the dangers because he acknowledged my dream," she answered firmly. "And nothing is going to stand in the way of me and my dream to be taught by the best doctor out there!"

Itachi groaned to himself, realizing just how stubborn the woman was. She was insistent on pushing through with whatever reason she was here in the first place and he could do nothing else to change her mind. "If you insist on staying, then might I suggest you stay in this apartment with me? It would be easier for me to keep an eye out for you." She was suddenly taken aback and Itachi credited it as a triumph for himself. "If you do not wish to stay with me, then I will personally escort you back to the gates of Konoha Town."

Was he really trying to scare her away? She would obviously decline his offer. Staying with a stranger was way off for her, he assumed, leaving her no choice but to leave. He was expecting her to pick her bag up and run to the nearest bus station, she could see it clearly in his face. She'd been with him for at least an hour and she could easily pick up his subtle looks. Maybe it was because his subtlety was no different from Sasuke's.

The rain outside sounded like it suddenly turned into a drizzle once more. Faint light shone through the window and Sakura could tell there was only little time for her left to make a decision as the rain was beginning to end. Itachi was already on his way to his room to grab a hoodie. When he came back out with a hoodie slung over his forearm, Sakura had her hands on her luggage and was looking at him.

"I figured you would not want to remain," he said smugly. "Central City is no place for the likes of you after all. And it is also the least I can do for my brother." There was a whole story hanging after that line that he refused to pull up. She knew by the way he turned away from her.

In reality, she really wanted to just leave his place and hope they never ran into each other again. However, his smugness seemed to get rid of that attempt. She was not afraid of him anymore and the arrogant look of triumph on his face made her want to stay all the more. He wasn't a total stranger though she did not know much about him. She found a common ground with him and that was Sasuke.

Besides, staying in this place for three weeks with such a handsome looking guy wasn't so bad.

"I'm staying here," she spoke.

There was amusement in his eyes and surprise as well as she noticed him stiffen for a second. He lowered his forearm and straightened his face. "If that is your decision," Itachi looked to the window and saw that the rain had already come to a stop. "Then you shall stay here for three weeks. Just be warned that I do not intend to let you out of my sight. And I mean it. Are you not afraid?"

"A little," she reluctantly admitted. "But it's normal for anyone in this town, isn't it?"

He agreed with her statement. "Bring your bag in the room," he ordered as he started for the couch, his arm brushing against hers as he passed by.

"Your… room?"

He sat down and looked at her with a neutral expression. "Of course," he said. "It would be rude of me to let the lady sleep on the couch, wouldn't it? And I do not wish for you to think ill of me as well which is why I have given you permission to use my room for the time being. Think of it as a gesture of approval that you are dating my brother. Do not hesitate to use the facilities freely as well." She continued to look at him, unable to register his offers. "I trust you are exhausted from your travel. Why not rest for an hour or two? The air conditioner in the bedroom is already switched on."

Sleep? In his room? In his house? Somehow, she was starting to regret her decision. This man promised out loud that he would kill her after all. What if he did it in her sleep? What if he did something much worse than kill her? It was too late for second thoughts, however. By the time she thought twice about her choice, she'd already dragged her bag in his room and sat on his bed.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Itachi walk to the door and lean against the frame. "Well?"

"I don't think I can sleep _here_," she quietly said as if talking to herself. "Can't I find another place?"

"If you are worried about anyone killing you in your sleep, I will be on guard. If you wish it, I will sit beside the bed and watch you sleep," he teased though underneath, he wished he could do that as he wondered what this lady would look like in a peaceful slumber. "Besides," he added, noting the reluctance that did not seem to fade from her features. "Attacking someone in their sleep would be a very courageous deed. Anyone who would think of doing it to such a fragile specimen such as yourself would be hurting their own pride."

His little brother had himself quite a catch. Smart, fierce and very much exotic. He couldn't help but begin to wonder if pink was her natural color. But it must have been since her hair was namesake. She wasn't as curvy as the women he'd find in the Sin District where bars were constructed all around. She was petite but had enough curves to find herself a decent man—one who would adore her for such a simple body, extraordinary beauty and an outstanding personality.

"If I leave my gun in the bedside drawer, would it ease you a little?" She answered with a small nod. There were a lot of other things he could do to her without a gun but still it would help a lot. And with that being said, Itachi started for the drawer, pulled out his pistol and carefully placed it in the drawer. "Does the fact that I'm unarmed make you a little relaxed?" She nodded again. "Good. There is another gun under your pillow if it helps. Now take a rest," he looked at her one last time before marching back to the couch.

His gun was now kept near her. And there was another kept another her pillow. How many other guns did he have? For all she knew, he could have had one stuck between the couch cushions but then again, he was Sasuke's older brother. That she could not doubt at all. He was like a carbon copy of Sasuke. Or maybe it was the other way around?

His bed was big enough for two people. The sheets were navy blue. His pillows, which were neatly placed on the far end of the bed, were cased with a white cottony cloth while the half of the bed she was sitting on was covered with a folded sheet that she guessed was his blanket judging by the way its stripes matched the pillowcases and the bedsheets. She pushed herself further on the cushion after taking off her shoes and lain her head on one of the two pillows, her face towards the ceiling. To her surprise, she felt something solid under the cotton of the pillow. She would bet her shirt off of the fact that this was the gun Itachi had been talking about.

She didn't know how she'd be able to sleep while thinking of the pistol her head was resting on so she rolled herself until her cheek was pressed on the other pillow. Her nose lightly touched the pillowcase as she inhaled the very scent of him. His pillow smelled just like the city but his personal scent overwhelmed the scent of sin. The foreign scent reminded her so much of home, Sasuke with a hint of gunpowder. She wasn't sure if it was Itachi's scent or the gun itself.

Little by little, she felt her eyes grow heavy but she couldn't let herself sleep—not with this man around. She supposed she could just keep her eyes open until she felt too sleepy to fight it. And that, she did and in a couple of minutes, she had fallen asleep.

()

_The city was dark and the only sources of light that illuminated the deserted streets were poorly lit streetlights that stood high on the sidewalks. It was a hot summer night but the perspiration on Sakura's forehead, neck and whole body was not caused by the temperature. She was afraid and was running for God knows how long already._

_A dark man with raven hair tied behind him chased after her with a pistol in his hand. She was running from him, hiding constantly but he managed to find her every time. It's like he knew where she would hide next every time he found her._

_Sakura was running out of breath. She began to feel lightheaded but forced herself to think straight and remember why this man was chasing her. Her stamina was running out and fast. She needed to find some place to run to and hide… _

_And then, before her very eyes, a payphone lit with a bright fluorescent bulb stood only a few meters away from her. Someone fairly familiar stood inside the spacious booth… And it was Uchiha Sasuke._

_She screamed his name in both relief and fear as she dashed towards the booth. Sasuke did not open the door immediately but as he set eyes on the man chasing after her, he rushed to let her in and held her in his arms as close as he dared and let her wrap her own arms around him tightly._

_The phone rang loudly beside her ear. She ignored it. Ring. She continued to hold on to him. Ring._

Her eyes fluttered open, realizing that it was not just an imaginary phone ringing in her head. Itachi stood beside the bed, holding her ringing phone by her ear in an attempt to wake her up without actually waking her up himself.

"It had been ringing for a few minutes now," he said. "I was planning on ignoring it but I frankly find your ringtone quite annoying. Please grant my request and answer it. Looks like Sasuke wishes to tell you something important. Kindly do me a tiny favor as well and do not tell him that you are currently staying with me."

She quickly snatched the phone away from him and answered excitedly. Itachi left her to talk with Sasuke privately and went back to watching television which she heard from inside his room.

"Hello?"

"_Sakura?"_

"Hey, Sasuke," she said, knowing that he could probably _hear_ the silly smile over the phone. She propped herself up and folded her legs beneath her petite figure. "It's about time you called."

"Naruto kind of bugged me to do it," he said. It wasn't at all difficult to recognize the irritation in his voice. "Everything alright for you there?"

_No. I mean I'm fine but how come you never told me you had an older brother?_ "Yes," lied Sakura. "Everything's just fine. I'm really having fun." _I want some explanation. _"And that's the whole truth." _You don't deserve to know the truth just yet until I find out about yours._

"Good. I should hang up now," he said and she knew there was no point in saying anything else because whether she said goodbye or not, he was going to hang up on her anyway.

"Okay then."

Next thing she knew, she was lying in bed filled with frustration. Without so much as a decent goodbye from her boyfriend in the past few weeks. She knew they had just started going out and her friends told her that the beginning of the relationship was always going to be the best part of it and in the middle would be the trials and challenges that cause the feelings to fade. Gosh, if this was the beginning, then she certainly didn't want to see the end of their relationship.

She got up from the bed, brushing away the thoughts, and left the room to sit on the same couch as Itachi. No one spoke to each other. Probably because she sensed that Itachi was too focused on the news to even notice that she had placed herself on the other end of the couch. She focused her attention on the television as well.

"_Breaking news from the 6__th__ District," _the female reporter said from behind a counter. _"A young man was found dead in an alleyway right beside city hall. There were no witnesses to describe the scene or point out the murderer. Investigators say that the young man was stabbed in his leg until incapacitated and was then stabbed in the chest. A mark freshly carved on his chest by a knife or a similar item tells the police investigators that this is yet another result of a gang war. The mayor and the rest of the government are planning on tracking down the gang responsible and arrest the members." _

The scene suddenly shows a transition from the news lady to the face of a middle-aged man who looked like he was interviewed in the office. _"The board members and I are trying to pass this law to ban gangs and arrest those who are involved in such activities. We will no longer have it in this city."_

The news lady appears once again. _"And in other news—" _Itachi turned off the set but continued to watch the pitch black screen of the television. He stared at his own reflection. Soon, he would be arrested for joining the Akatsuki if that law was ever confirmed. He would be arrested for participating in gang wars and in other similar activities… Unless he detached from the group. No, leaving the gang would mean bringing death upon himself. Anyone who leaves the group is also sentenced to death by one of the members. In short, once you join, there is no way out but death.

He sensed a movement from the corner of his eye and for the first time, he saw Sakura in the image reflected by the screen. He turned his head and met her gaze but said nothing.

"Sasuke," she started, her eyes drifting from Itachi's to the floor. "Was he always like _that_? Even as a child?"

Itachi merely nodded, not needing her to elaborate further on what she was talking about. "No," he said as he shook his head. "He was not always as hostile as he is presently but believe me; I've seen him in worse moods. He has only acquired his hostility after our parents died." He got up and put on his slippers before he crossed the room to enter the bathroom.

Sakura knew he didn't want to talk about Sasuke anymore and it was a foolish thing of her to bring Sasuke up in the first place. But by the way Itachi looked after hearing the news about the passing of the law that involved the gangs, he seemed a bit nervous. Itachi had the exact same look when Sasuke had been accused of picking on Sai a little too much. He was calm but there was panic somewhere in his eyes. When she tried to distract him from the news, the tense built up even more so.

She was sure Itachi wasn't crying his eyes out in the bathroom like she would do if she were in his place. He was probably trying to pull back all the emotions in him and come back out when he thought he was himself again. Exactly like Sasuke would do every recollection. When the conversation would go out of way and go deeper, he would usually resign himself from the group and sulk alone somewhere and come back with the same face he had before the conversation started.

It was easy to read Itachi, she thought. It was most likely because she had enough practice with Sasuke throughout her high school years. And having that advantage, she would seldom get confused around him and the discreet signals and emotions he keeps throwing around.

She really had to stop comparing the two Uchiha's. One day, she was sure to pay for this. She didn't know how but she could see clearly that this would become a problem if she did not stop.

* * *

_**End of Chapter II**_


	3. So Similar, So Different

Hi everyone! You know you all want to kill me for being on hiatus for such a long time. I'm sorry but I've been so busy now that I'm in college. By the way, I'm taking up a major in Journalism. I've failed a subject in the first semester already. I cannot risk failing two more during my remaining 6 semesters. I'm really sorry. You can all throw me in a pool of sharks now.

Here's the third chapter. It's been on my laptop for a long time now. I never had the chance to upload it. Anyway, this part may seem rambly and rushed because I simply made this while I was resting my eyes in the middle of a History report. So, yeah. I offer you a bucketful of apologies with a bunch of cherries on top too.

* * *

**CHAPTER III**  
_So Similar, So Different_

Itachi left her with a cooked meal on the dining table around thirty minutes past 6. He was sure she'd be done eating by now. He could only hope that Sakura had done the dishes too to save him the trouble but he wouldn't mind at all if she didn't.

After he came out of the bathroom with his face freshly washed and free from any sign of emotion, he had gone straight to the kitchen and discovering Sakura with her nose inside the fridge. While he boiled her a bowl of hot soup and toasted the bread, she was on the couch in the living room watching television like he had told her to do in the meantime. Before the meal was fully prepared, Itachi had already changed into another set of clothes.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat?" Sakura asked, noting his attire when she stepped into the kitchen.

With his back on her, he poured the soup into a porcelain bowl. "No," he set the pot on the dead stove and brought the bowl on the dining table. "You will dine alone tonight. I must meet with the leader tonight and he is not a man you would want to keep waiting." He took a step back, admired his work and nodded in approval and signaled for Sakura to sit down. "I have a gun with me," he said, suddenly startling Sakura. "I leave the other one with you. I shall see you when I return, Haruno."

After that, he was off. He headed towards the old warehouse near the city dump on foot. In half an hour, he had reached the location. For a minute, he thought he'd been the first to arrive but the aura of a predator had caught his senses. He smirked faintly, finally recognizing whose atmosphere it was.

He put his hands in his pockets and, without turning around, greeted the pale man who crept stealthily behind him. "I assumed you would not care enough to show up for this meeting, Kisame."

"I could say the same thing about you," even though Itachi did not see his face, he could clearly hear the smirk in his voice. "R'we the first ones, partner?"

Itachi finally spun to meet his fellow gang member's face with an annoyed look. "Yes," he sneered. It still amused the Uchiha how pale this gigantic man was. His skin was so light, it almost seemed blue. He was only a foot and a half taller than Itachi but it was his broad shoulders that made him seem like he was bigger than he should seem. Another factor of this man's intimidating aura was the fact that he had a giant bat slung on his back.

"Really," groaned the larger man. "Leader calls for a meeting at a given time and yet where is the guy? Gets mad when we're late but he's 15 minutes late himself."

Two voices rang from the opposite direction from where Itachi had entered. Both men who arrived early looked at each other, recognizing the bickering of the arriving party. Into the light provided by the street light Itachi and Kisame were standing under, the new arrivals walked, continuing their small dispute.

The blonde man punched the redhead in the arm with a scowl on his face before tying half of his hair up. "All I'm saying is that keep your hands off of my hair and I won't touch your freaky bonnet," the younger said irritably. When he faced the older men, his expression changed into a smug one. "Look who finally decided to show up for once, hm? No plans on running away from leader, Kisame?"

The biggest of the four was itching to reach for his bat and smash it down on the blonde's skull. "Watch it, shorty. I've sent 13 guys in the hospital with this bat and 5 of them made it all the way to hell. You do not want to be the sixth, Deidara."

The offended one remained unaffected by the threat and simply gave a 'hn' at Kisame before facing Itachi and staring at him coldly in the eye.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Deidara disliked Itachi and vice versa. Though it was Itachi who had been assigned to recruit the delinquent, he had never really been fond of the idea nor the man himself. It only took one second to tell that Deidara didn't like him. Neither of the two bothered to hide their hate for one another since it didn't affect the official business of the gang.

The darker man narrowed his eyes on him before averting his attention to the man in the gray bonnet. "It has been quite a while, Sasori," he regarded less coldly than he did Deidara.

"Still as formal as ever," the redhead said indifferently. "So when is leader showing up? I still have a project due tomorrow evening."

A voice echoed from somewhere and all four of them searched for the man with the frighteningly familiar voice.

"I'm glad four of you could make it," he greeted before emerging from behind Kisame. "Hidan was supposed to join us but I had a little errand for him to run but let's get straight to business. Newbie," he pointed to Deidara. "What is the Akatsuki code?"

Deidara's eyes were counting all the piercings on the leaders' face when a finger was pointed in his face. All eyes were on him as he spoke. "Anyone who stands in our way goes to hell without delay."

"Exactly," said the leader. "Itachi, kindly explain to your fellow members what happened."

Itachi cleared his throat as he collected his thoughts. Few seconds later, he spoke. "Hidan nearly killed Taro earlier this day. Unfortunately, a young woman, who I assume is not from this city, managed to apply basic first aid on his wound. Shortly, Tsunade-sama arrived and helped bring Taro to the hospital."

The leader raised his hand—a silent order for Itachi to stop. "Pink hair and fair skin. How many pink hair women have you seen in this city since you first arrived?" The members all looked at each other knowingly. "None. I want all four of you to find that young lady and kill her. Dismissed. Itachi, you stay."

Sasori groaned before turning his heel. The same went for Kisame. Both lived near the border of the city and it took almost an hour for them to get here. Deidara, though only living a few blocks away, also thought it was unfair. The leader could have sent them a text message but that would have been too risky. Telecommunications were thoroughly filtered in the city and they had no choice but to meet in personal.

Itachi watched them leave, knowing that there were two extra pairs of eyes watching _him_. When he'd turned around, he found a man wearing a mask covering half his face, a lady in a night coat and the leader standing before him.

"She was seen wandering near your area, Itachi," the leader started. "Keep an eye out."

"Understood, Pein." Itachi remained passive and shifted his gaze to the masked man then back to Pein. "Is that all you wish to say, leader?" The pierced man nodded once. "Then I would like to have one moment with _him_ in private."

The man behind the black mask looked to the leader. "Take Konan home and get some rest yourself. Your classes start early tomorrow."

Pein complied, taking the lady's hand in his before walking into the darkness. When they were finally out of earshot, Itachi spoke in a toned voice—one that he'd never let anyone hear.

"How many more lives, Tobi?" He asked. "How many more lives before this gang is disbanded? If we are unable to finish _your_ goal soon, we will all be put under arrest which is what we had been avoiding all these years. The government has had enough of this that you have started and I am hanging on my patience by a thread."

By the crease of Tobi's eye, Itachi could tell that Tobi had a smirk upon his face that he was glad he couldn't see. "Give it a little more time, Itachi-kun," the mocking in his tone almost got to Itachi but he knew better than to let it get the better of him. "Three more lives and that little lady will be the perfect lady to replace the life of your mother. After I found out that she helped Tora, she kind of reminded me of your mother—loving and gentle."

"That _girl_ happens to not be from around here, Tobi," he said straightly. "She is innocent. She is probably still in high school. What does she know of this place?" The masked man looked at Itachi with a hint of interest in his eye.

"You _know_ the bitch?" Tobi asked in a cocky tone.

Itachi bit his tongue, trying to hold back his counter to Tobi's offensive remark about his little brother's girlfriend. "No, I don't. Tobi, for once, could we possibly leave the innocent out of our game?"

"The code," he reminded the long-haired man. "Remember the code. And no, Itachi-kun. I cannot turn a blind eye on the code because it is the sole rule of Akatsuki. I made it to be strong just like how I established our gang."

But of course, Tobi just had to be that hard-headed. Itachi couldn't expect anything less from the founder of the gang of his affiliation.

* * *

There were 80 channels and not a decent show for her to watch. With no other choice, she sighed and switched the channels to one where there was a live showing of a reality show centered in cooking. One would never see Sakura slaving over a hot stove for a meal but she was one who would be usually found sitting in front of a table and eating her way through a meal.

After finishing what Itachi had left her on the table, she still was not satisfied. She had an appetite, true. What remains a mystery to her is how she stays so slim after three servings of rice per meal.

Her trail of thought was soon ended when she was startled by her ringtone. With a groan, she got up, went back in Itachi's room and picked up her phone which she left on top of the bedside table. It was Naruto… Again.

"Hello?" She answered as she flopped down on top of the covers of his bed on her back.

"_Sakura-chan!"_ The voice on the other end cheered. _"How are things going for you? Everything okay?"_

She smiled at his voice. A whole day hasn't passed just yet but she already missed Konoha. "I'm fine, Naruto. Everything's going okay, I guess." Honestly, she didn't know if staying in a house of a man who was supposedly Sasuke's brother was _okay_ in any way. "Hey, Naruto," she sighed. "Can I tell you some—"

"_OH MY GOSH!" _Sakura had to pull her head away from the phone when Naruto yelled. _"Sakura, I just realized; can you bring me ramen before you come back here?"_ He really was an idiot wasn't he?

She shook her head at the ignorance of the blond as she swung her feet on the side of the bed. She walked back in the living room and sat on the couch comfortably as she listened to Naruto's excitement about tasting city ramen. "It'll be cold by the time I come back," she answered. "Anyway, Naruto… I want to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell Sasuke, okay? Or anyone else, for that matter."

It took a while before Naruto could answer. She almost thought about hanging up on him. _"Okay," _Naruto agreed. _"What is it?"_

"You see, the thing is—" She cut herself off with a gasp when she'd heard a key pushed in the front door. Itachi was back. Naruto was asking her what was wrong from the other end. She could hear him, yes, but right now she was too busy thinking of something else to say to her best friend. Before she managed to think of something, Itachi had entered the main area of the apartment. And so, abandoning all hope, she'd spat the very first thing that came to mind. "I have a fever."

Itachi paused for a moment, looking at her with, as usual, a passive expression before he bent on one knee to untie one of his shoes. She watched him as the loose strands that refused to tuck in his ponytail swept across his face. She knew he was tired though it didn't show. It was the same feel she had when she would see Sasuke wasted during gym class.

Without even noticing it, she suddenly found herself drowning in endless pools of ebony. He'd felt her eyes on him and suddenly returned the look. "Is something the matter?" He asked, bringing her head back on Earth.

If it wasn't for his voice, she probably would have forgotten about her friend on the phone. _"Sakura-chan, are you okay? What happened? I heard someone else. What's going on?" _

"It's nothing," she fake-chuckled. "My head just really hurts a lot. I'm going to call you back, okay? I'm in the pharmacy right now," she continued. "Bye. I'll call you later."

When she'd heard him bid her goodbye, she slipped her phone in the pocket of her jeans and retrieved the remote from the other end of the couch, continuing to surf the channels for the nth time. In peripheral view, she watched as Uchiha Itachi moved to the kitchen. She'd heard the sound of running water and clanking dishes.

"Uhm… I'm sorry about the dishes," she said out loud. "I'll do it next time." She was tempted to bite her fingernails at the moment. This man offered her shelter in his own home and let her sleep on his bed and she didn't at least bother to do the dishes. But then again, she still wasn't sure if staying with him just to prove him wrong about her was such a good idea.

The sound of running water suddenly disappeared and when she'd turned her head, Itachi was already wiping his hands on a small towel, standing beside the cabinet which served as a divider for the living room and the kitchen. "I do not expect you to do anything," he simply said. "I insisted on having you stay here. You are a guest and in my family, we are not supposed to let the guest do anything. We are supposed to serve them."

_A guest is not someone you force to stay in your house_, she said inwardly. "Funny," she accidentally said out loud, remembering Sasuke. Her eyes darted away from Itachi all of a sudden when she'd realized he'd heard her.

"What is?"

She held her lips together, trying to show that offense was not what she'd intended before she started. "Your brother…" From the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi stop drying his hands. "Whenever he'd let me in his apartment, he'd just tell me to feel at home and if I was hungry, I could take anything from the pantry. It just suddenly popped into mind."

The raven-haired man let his hands drop to his sides for a moment. She looked at him and followed his gaze to a picture frame hung beside the front door. She hadn't noticed that before. And just when she was about to examine it, Itachi somehow broke her attempt by speaking.

"Yes," he muttered under his breath before turning his back for the kitchen. "Humorous, indeed."

There was something in his tone that suggested irony. Or was it sarcasm? Reluctant to ask for the whole story, Sakura stuttered. "W-What do you… Well, what do you mean by—"

"That is another story for yet another day, Sakura," Itachi interrupted. He emerged from the kitchen once more and headed inside the bathroom. Before he shut the door, he'd called on Sakura's attention. "I forgot to remind you that Tsunade sent you a message earlier while you were asleep," he said. "She will be expecting your arrival in the hospital early tomorrow morning. This is merely a suggestion but I think it is best if you go to sleep while it is still early. Goodnight."

Then the door slammed shut.

His _suggestion _sounded more like an order to Sakura by the way he'd said it.

It was exactly 7am when she entered Tsunade's consultation room and there was no sgn of the veteran medic. She let herself in and sat in front of her desk, removing the baseball cap Itachi lent her and setting it on top of the glass table.

Itachi was still fast asleep when she left her room all dressed up and ready to head for the hospital. Unfortunately, his eyes snapped open at the sound of the front door opening. He suggested she hid her hair to avoid attracting any more attention than she already did. Unable to hesitate, she pulled her hair in a messy pony and wore the cap he handed to her.

_What did I get myself into?_ Thanks to a good night's rest, she finally got a hold of herself. Sakura was frantic about what had happened yesterday. She could not believe she just agreed to live in a stranger's apartment for the next couple days. But then again, he wasn't a total stranger, was he? _Here I go again, _she thought. _I'm so undecided. Maybe I should have just let him accompany me home or—_

The door opened and Tsunade stood in the doorway looking haggard and still half-asleep. A younger woman, almost the same built as Sakura, had one arm around Tsunade's waist, hoisting her to her feet.

"I could use a little help," she said with a grunt.

Sakura immediately got to her feet and rushed to help Tsunade make way to her seat. With little difficulty, Sakura pulled Tsunade's shoulders on the back rest of the chair while the woman fixed Tsunade's coat. When she was finally satisfied with her work, she asked Sakura to let go of Tsunade. Both watched as the busty woman's head fell flat on the table.

The woman sighed. "Nothing can make Tsunade-sama look more respectable than she does right now." As if on cue, Tsunade snored a little. The woman faced Sakura who was standing a few feet away from the desk, looking worried about the blonde doctor. "I'm sorry but she's usually like this. She'll be fine though. She just had a strong drink last night is all," she reached out a hand. "I'm Shizune. And you're Haruno Sakura, I believe?"

Sakura gladly moved forward and shook Shizune's hand. "Yes, I am. How did you know my name?"

"I'm actually the one who chose you to be her intern," she replied nicely. "Out of all the forms, I honestly thought you were the one with the most potential. And Tsunade-sama told me so as well last night before she passed out," she chuckled. "Anyway, I'm going to be the one to teach you today since Tsunade-sama… Well, you're smart enough to figure out why I'm going to be teaching you."

Sakura smiled. "I might have an idea why."

Shizune moved behind the table and opened the top drawer, pulling out an envelope. "This is supposed to be her agenda for today but since she's out cold… Shall we head to the cafeteria?" She noticed disappointment somewhere in Sakura's face. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that I won't be teaching _all_ the lectures. Besides, this isn't a lecture. I'm just going to assess you on what you know and what else you need to know so that she will know where to start. Shall we?"

And with a nod, both walked out of the room, leaving Tsunade to sleep alone on her desk.

* * *

_Uchiha_.

How long until classes were dismissed? It was already 2pm and he was still stuck in a make-up class becase he'd missed 11 meetings in one subject… Composition class.

_Uchiha._

It wasn't like he wanted to miss this class. It was nothing personal. It was simply business. Akatsuki business. Seriously, because of Akatsuki, he ended up having to take up two more years in his college major.

"Uchiha," his professor called him, sounding annoyed and stern. "Keep focus. You already failed my subject because of your frequent absences. Keep in mind that I am not thrilled to have you in my class for a third time. Understood?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he just let his eyes dart on the window beside him. He didn't care about the class. He knew all he needed to in order to pass the class. It was just his bad attendance that pulled his grades and everyone knew that well.

"I guess that's it for today," the professor said. "I'll see you all on Thursday. Uchiha," he pointed out. "You still haven't passed your composition for this semester. If you don't hand it over within the week, I will have to fail you again. Please don't make me do so."

Again, Itachi did not show any sign of response.

"Dismissed," and the small man was out of the door.

Everyone else was packing and leaving the room, wanting to make the most of their 3-hour break before their next class. Everyone but the man sitting at the far end of the classroom. He took his time packing his bag and left the room long after everyone was gone.

He took the bus home and took a cool shower before starting on his composition.

* * *

"We're done for today," Shizune said. "That went a whole lot faster than I thought. Do you want to go grab a snack at a café somewhere or—"

Before she could say anymore, Sakura kindly declined her invite, afraid that someone might take notice of her. "I really should be heading home now. It's almost 5. Maybe some other time?"

After they both agreed on a date, Sakura went back in Tsunade's office, grabbed Itachi's cap and walked back home. It was merely half an hour away if she walked faster than she did but she wanted to memorize the shops she would pass by so she took her time with her steps.

When she passed by a bakery, she couldn't help but be captivated by the smell of the freshly baked loaves of bread. She stepped inside the bakery and eyed the crocodile-shaped loaf of bread in the display behind the counter. There was also one that resembled a totem pole. She wondered how hard it would have been for the bakers to mold and shape the dough.

A man with long blonde flowing hair stepped out of the kitchen, and saw appreciation in the young lady's eyes. He stripped off his working gloves and put away his apron until he was wearing nothing but a washed-out purple top and black sweatpants.

"Hello, miss," he said politely.

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, surprised that someone had taken notice of her. "Hi," she smiled back at the blonde man. Maybe he was just as old as Taro. "This is something else," she chuckled, pointing at the bread molded as an eagle. "It's really pretty though. It's like an edible piece of art."

The blonde man smirked at her choice of words and made his way over the counter. "Thanks," he said. "I did most of the work in that. It wasn't easy though. Did you need something?"

Ashamed that she came in the shop without any money, she shook her head. "I really didn't mean to buy anything. It's just… The bread smelled so good and I couldn't resist." She looked at him, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of his blue eyes. "I really should be going no—"

"It's fine," he pulled her wrist and gestured her to sit on one table. "Please, sit down. I'll be right back."

Before Sakura could even protest, he went back into the kitchen and came out with a tray filled with various confections no bigger than a compact mirror. They were all so carefully decorated. He sat across her and set the tray on the table. "Please, taste them. They're some of the bakery's best."

"Won't the owner be furious?"

"Not if he invites you to sit himself," he said with a smug look on his face. But he couldn't possibly own this place. He was just about the same age as her. "Just taste them."

Sakura took the fork on the edge of the tray and tasted the turtle-shaped finger cake. "This is just marvelous," she said with wide-eyes.

"Keep eating," he said. "You're a siren."

"Excuse me?" She asked, pushing her fork through another piece of cake.

He pointed at her cap. "SCC. Siren Central College. You're a siren if you have a cap like that," he pointed out. "You must be pretty rich to get into a music conservatory like that. I have a friend who goes to that school. What instrument do you play?"

"This isn't really mine," she said softly. Her phone vibrated. "Excuse me while I take this." She pulled out her phone and put it on her ear. "Hello?"

"_Haruno, where are you?_" A familiar voce but not quite familiar enough. "_I went to the hospital to pick you up but you weren't there._"

Itachi.

"Oh my gosh," she exclaimed a little louder than she should have. "I'm really sorry, Itachi. I'm almost home. I forgot you were supposed to pick me up from work. I'm really sorry."

"_Where are you?_"

"I'm on my way home," she answered. "I have to go now," she said, seeing that the blonde man was looking at her intently as she spoke. "Bye." She put down her phone and pushed it in her pocket again.

"Might I ask," he started. "Was that, by any chance, Uchiha Itachi?"

She nodded. "Why? Do you know him?"

He shrugged, and leaned back on his chair. "He's an acquaintance. We're not exactly buddy-buddy but we know each other." Could it be… That this man was from the same gang as Taro? Or maybe another gang that Itachi knew of? "I'm sorry about this," he sighed.

"About what?"

"If I'd known earlier that you were Itachi's lady, I wouldn't have done this," he said defensively. "Don't tell him I offered you some sweets or anything. I'd be dead if I was caught flirting with his woman and—"

She stopped him before he could say any more. "I am not Itachi's woman," said Sakura in a very polite manner. "Don't get me wrong. He seems really nice but he—Wait. You were trying to… Flirt with me?" Flattery washed over Sakura. This man was extremely good looking for someone who worked in such a small bakery. "I'm sorry. I appreciate it but I have a boyfriend back home. But I think I'll come by here when I'm bored. And I'll make sure I have money the next time so—"

"You know what," he said. "Just come by whenever you feel like it. Money or not, I'll make sure you have the same smile on your face like the one a while ago when you thought of your boyfriend." He smiled at her. "And I'll be here, waiting."

He was quite a smooth-talker, she had to admit. His accent and way with words had a part of her hooked. He was no Uchiha Sasuke nor Uchiha Itachi but he was really something else.

Wait. Why did she even think about comparing him to Itachi, anyway?

"How about you take some cakes home for you and Itachi?"

"No," she was already on her feet and ready to leave. "You've already given me enough. Besides, I'm positive that Itachi doesn't like sweets."

The baker looked at her, amused at what she said. "Why would you assume that? Itachi loves sweets. Especially chocolates. What made you think he didn't like it."

_Because Uchiha Sasuke doesn't like sweets_, Sakura thought.

When he handed her a paper bag filled with small cakes, she thanked him and promised him that she would be back soon.

On the way back to the apartment, she stopped in front of a mirror shop and checked herself out. She didn't mind going out looking like she did right now every time she would leave the house. The cap and hidden hair was quite a nice touch to her usual wardrobe.

After fixing her appearance, she crossed the street and turned around the block until Itachi's apartment was in sight. He found his spare key by the window sill like he told her this morning and opened the front door.

_ Itachi must still be on the way back,_ she thought. _What's with all this mess?_

She first headed to the kitchen and placed the paper bag on the table before she returned in the living room where pieces of paper were all over the place. Notes. Musical notes everwhere. She checked one of the papers and found that it had been an original composition by Itachi. It was indicated on the bottom of the page where he had his signature above his printed name.

_Siren Central College. A conservatory of music. _He was taking up music. But what instrument did he play, exactly? The baker also mentioned her being rich enough to get into a school like SCC. Could it be that—

"I take it Sasuke taught you how to read those notes?" A voice said from behind.

She spun around so quickly, she felt a little dizzy when she laid her eyes on the tall man taking off his shoes by the door. She straightened the paper and set it on the floor again. "No, I don't really know how to read these things well. I mean I know which notes are which but this is—"

"Ah," a reply so brief it reminded her of Sasuke's response when she said she'd been accepted as Tsunade's intern. "What would you like for dinner?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm still really full," she muttered. "I brought some cakes home, by the way. A really nice man in the bakery gave them to me for free and I think you know him."

"Blonde hair, I assume," he started for the living room and began picking the pieces of paper one by one. Sakura offered to help but he simply asked her to prepare the dishes and place the cakes on a tray.

When he finally finished cleaning up, he followed her and found her sitting quietly on one side of the table. "His bakery makes impressive confections, I must admit. I visit the shop frequently whenever he is not there. I must suggest you taste the blueberry cheesecake." He used the small tong to place the small cake on Sakura's plate. "He does not live there, however. He lives on the other side of the city."

She did not use a fork but instead pinched it between her fingers and ate it whole. "It tastes just as good as it looks," she mused.

He didn't say anymore as he took a bite out of the mini-black forest cake. His expression remained the same as always but Sakura saw a smile somewhere in his passive look.

Uchiha Itachi was like a grown up version of Uchiha Sasuke although… She shouldn't be saying this but no matter how similar they seemed, she knew Itachi had more heart than Sasuke ever will. She felt so guilty just thinking about it. But it just bothered her so much how they were so similar yet so different.

But somehow, something told her she'd enjoy Itachi's company more than she does with Sasuke.

_Why_, she thought to herself as she stuffed herself with the last cake on the tray. _He really does love sweets_.


	4. The Almost Betrayed and The Betrayed

**Hey there, folks! So I'm going to be updating irregularly. I don't know if I can find time to squeeze this fanfic in or if I can find the inspiration to finish it. But your reviews have been so inspiring lately so I just had to do this for you. I swear, if I didn't have classes, I would be updating weekly or every three days.**

**Anyway, here's the 4th chapter. A bit DeiSaku-ish in this chapter. I just had to. They're both so cute. :)**

**Reviews are highly appreciated. I'm only going to say it once in every fanfic. So yeah. Enjoy, my people.**

* * *

**Chapter IV**  
_The Almost Betrayed and The Betrayed_

He didn't mind at all that there was a young woman sleeping in his bedroom but it was half-past 12 when he'd taken a shower to refresh himself after finishing half of the composition his professor had asked of him. His clothes had just been thrown into the hamper and now he was wearing nothing but a towel in the living room.

_I could retrieve my pants from the hamper_, he thought. _But that would just make me seem uncivilized, wouldn't it?_ He didn't know how to get a new change of clothes in his own bedroom. Sakura had locked the door earlier when she was reviewing her notes from her mentor and fell asleep. It was a bad week to choose to have his clothes dry-cleaned rather than to have washed them himself. He didn't have a choice, did he?

"Where is my pencil?" He wondered to no one in particular as he snatched his instrument from the couch. Soon, he had found his pencil, sat back down and worked into the remaining hours of the night, shivering time after time because of the window he'd left open the earlier evening and found to troublesome to close. He drafted. And drafted. And drafted. But there was not one draft that was good enough to put in his final composition.

He had started one, in fact, about a year ago. However, he never got the chance to finish his symphony because of the gang wars. He ran. He hid. He moved from one apartment to another. There was just too much going on last year, thus resulting in his frequent absences and failure in his class.

Cup after cup, he continued playing with notes in the living room, trying hard to ignore his heavy eyes and the fact that the sun was about to rise. Finally giving up on the project, he stood up and stretched his arms over his head, feeling they had grown sore and numb from holding up his instrument for hours.

The door opened and Sakura walked out of the bedroom, almost stumbling. It looked like she had a real hangover but Itachi doubted it. She could still be really tired from studying last night. He would know. He felt like that sometimes when he'd take college seriously.

When she'd caught a glimpse of Itachi's toned torso, she dropped her head in shame and quickly walked backwards and back into the room and shut the door. Itachi would have given her a chuckle if he didn't feel so stressed and tired. With her petite and high built, you would think she was all woman but somehow, Itachi saw a child in her and he wondered if Sasuke found that side of her adorable like he did deep inside or if his brother just dealt with it.

He approached the bedroom door and rapped at the door. "Anything you might like for breakfast, Haruno?"

There was a long silence before Itachi heard the doorknob turn. Sakura looked up at him, avoiding anything below his shoulders. "The leftover cakes from last night would be nice," she said, almost barely over a whisper. "If that's okay with you, I mean. I can cook for you, if you want. You look a bit—"

"I'm good," he interrupted. "There will be no need to cook anything. There are still plenty of cakes left. And since you volunteered to cook, may I ask you prepare breakfast? As you can see, a lot of cleaning is needed in the living room." Without even listening to was she had to say, he turned away and started cleaning up.

When Sakura took a few steps to the kitchen and saw the mess he had created. "You write music?" She knelt down and begun helping him pick up the pieces of paper he had thrown away from the coffee table whenever he wrote something wrong.

"Haruno, I asked you to prepare breakfast. We are able to save more time if we work on different tasks rather concentrating on the same one," he said sternly as he swiped the music sheet from her. "The cakes are in the refrigerator. Feel free to drink anything you wish. I've kept a bottle of juice further back."

Quietly, Sakura backed away and trotted in the kitchen to prepare the meal. She'd heard a silent closing of a door and when she peeped into the living room, Itachi was gone. Tiptoeing towards the hamper, she found Itachi's clothes from last night thrown carelessly in. Faint coughs echoed from inside the bedroom.

Worry subtly washed over her so she started for the bedroom door slowly but before her fingertips touched the knob, the door swung open and a fully clothed Itachi ran for the bathroom with a hand covering his mouth as he coughed. Sakura swore she heard him wheeze as he breathed in.

She knocked on the bathroom door. "Itachi," she called out hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

He stopped coughing for a moment and seconds later, she heard the water running and then stopped a couple more seconds later. "Do not mind me," he answered. "Continue preparing breakfast. Please."

Without any more questions, Sakura went back to the kitchen and done as she was told although, in the back of her mind, she was wondering about what was going on behind the bathroom door when she heard him start coughing again.

He'd taken a bath in the middle of the night, obviously. And because she'd fallen asleep with the door locked, he was unable to get a new change of clothes and when she'd turned to her right, she found that the kitchen window had been left open and she knew that it was the wind that caused his coughing fit.

The minute Itachi left the bathroom, looking calm and like nothing happened, she approached him and said quietly. "Breakfast is ready." Funny how just last night, he'd said she was a guest and he was supposed to serve her. He was a bit off this morning.

Both of them entered the kitchen and both took a seat on the table. In the middle of the quiet meal, she spoke in the politest manner, trying hard not to offend Itachi. "After dinner, if you'd let me, I think I want to run a check-up on you. You know? If it's fine with you. I'm a little worried. No ordinary person coughs like you do and—"

"If you feel like you are ought to worry about me because I allowed you to stay here temporarily, you are incorrect." Sakura looked back at her plate and began shoving bigger slices of cake in her mouth. Itachi noticed how nervous he'd made her. "Excuse me for my inappropriate behavior. However, I am not your responsibility and you have no need to diagnose my condition. I am already aware of my condition."

"Condition?"

Itachi finished his plate of cakes and stood up. "Excuse me. I shall return to my previous task. When you finish, you may clean up and shower. This composition must be finished before this afternoon and as soon as I take you to the hospital, I will lock up and continue working."

She nodded and in a split second, Itachi had gone back into the living room.

* * *

"I swear," she said laughing. "This is the most fun I've ever had! I'm learning so much and—"

"_Typical," _Narutosaidover the phone, cutting her sentence short._ "Haruno Sakura is having so much fun learning."_

She laughed again. "It's fun to learn, Naruto."

"_It's fun to learn… How can I say it to make it sound _not_ absurd?"_

Sakura kept on telling him stories about her experiences so far. Why Naruto? Because Sasuke was studying for when school begins again. "By the way, how's Sasuke?" She asked, pretending that she had not called him only minutes before she dialed Naruto's phone.

"_Still the same," _he said. _"But I think there _is_ something you should know, Sakura-chan."_

Her heart nearly stopped at the sentence. She thought about everything Sasuke could possibly do wrong. However, he may not be the perfect boyfriend but she could just not see him doing something that would break her heart. The distance was testing her faith and trust in her boyfriend, she thought.

"Naruto," she interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. "I still have to eat my lunch. I only get half an hour for my break and I only have 10 minutes left to buy food from across the hospital."

"_Oh, okay then. Well, I have to talk to you about Sasuke some other time because he's—"_

Before he could even finish, Sakura heard a door open from his side of the line. _"Dumbass, I thought you were taking me over to—"_

"Sasuke?"

The other line hung up, preventing Sakura from hearing the rest of the conversation. She knew that tone of voice. She knew _that_ voice. He used the same nickname her boyfriend had for Naruto… It was Sasuke.

"Sakura, Tsunade and I have an emergency operation she needs to attend to," Shizune said from the doorway. "You're done for the day. Thank you, Sakura. When you graduate high school, be sure to come back here and we can recommend you a scholarship in any college you want."

"Thank you, Shizune-san."

She packed her bags, got the cap and stuffed her hair in the cap before she left the hospital. _Where to eat, _she wondered.

Chouji always found her homemade sandwiches divine. Although, it always depended on the bread. He always liked his sandwich bread freshly baked and she agreed with him. An idea popped into mind. It was time she visited the grocery.

()

A knock on the front door broke his concentration. He dropped his pen angrily on the table and got up to open the door.

"Itachi-kun," the masked man greeted, leaning against the frame of the door. "May I come in?" He asked, letting himself in before Itachi could even say he was busy. When he slumped on the couch, he took a paper in his hand and laughed maniacally. "You're still after that college degree, Uchiha? I told you to go into college to blend in and cover our tracks. You didn't have to take it seriously."

Itachi, who still had not let go of the door knob, tried his best not to rip the door off its hinges. "Tobi," he started. "It is not your business what I do in college. I did as you told me. I do not need further instruction. Why are you here."

The long haired man knew that underneath the mask, Tobi smiled. He heard it in his voice. "I'm here to talk. There's a man I must get rid of and I need your help."

"I do not wish to be involved in such a situation," he answered sternly, trying to bury his decision into Tobi's head. It was hard to do so half of the time. Tobi never liked not being listened to. "You permitted me to collect intel instead of killing. If it weren't for Konan and I, you never would have found half of the people Akatsuki has killed."

"You're being stubborn, Itachi," he snapped. "I don't like stubborn. Don't forget that I'm the reason you're still alive."

"One cannot easily forget when his relative pulled him out while the rest of the family gasped for air," he snapped back. "This will be the last time you hear this from me; I am not putting myself into any more danger than I already am, Tobi. Not anymore. I'm tired of this life. Kindly leave the way you entered. I still have a lot to do for later."

Tobi heavily got to his feet and dragged himself across the room to the front door, purposely bumping Itachi's shoulder on his way. "You'll regret this, Itachi. I don't know how I'll make you regret, but you will. Life's funny like that. Ciao."

()

The door chime made a soothing sound when she'd opened the door of the bakery with a grocery bag full of ham, sliced cheese, tomatoes, mayonnaise and drinks against her chest. Deidara rushed out of the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of a very familiar lady in front of him.

"You know," he said as he removed his apron. "I was just kidding about you coming back here." Sakura raised an eyebrow, not seeming amused. "I'm kidding. What do you have there?" He walked to her and leaned over the bag just close enough for his long hair to touch her shoulder. His head was against the tip of the cap and if he moved any closer, he'd knock off her disguise.

She took a step back. "I brought ingredients for a ham and cheese sandwich," she said with a smile. "I didn't have lunch yet so I thought I could have lunch with you."

"Okay then," he said, a bit taken aback by her sudden invitation. "You do know you need bread to make a sandwich, right?"

"I came to a bakery, didn't I?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Fair enough. Wait here."

While he rummaged around in the kitchen, Sakura took her seat on the table where they sat the first time. One by one, she took out the ingredients onto the table and patiently waited for Deidara who emerged from the kitchen with a plate of a new baked loaf of bread in one hand and a pair of knives in the other hand.

"It's a good thing I hadn't had lunch yet." He walked over to the table and began slicing the loaf neatly. As he worked, Sakura watched him intently. "Now that I think of it, I didn't catch your name the first time you came, did I? I'm Deidara, by the way."

She felt her pulse stop for a moment. "My n-name," she started. "I'm Ha… Haru."

"What? No last name?" Deidara teased. Sakura shook her head with a cocky expression on her face. "So are you one of those girls who like to stay mysterious to get the guy hooked even more? Or are you the type would rather have no one attached to her because she's living a secret agent life?"

Even though what he'd said was not as hilarious as it would coming from someone else, his accent had her hooked and the way he looked at her as he spoke could nearly drive her mad.

"I'm closer to the second," she laughed, helping Deidara prepare the slices of bread.

The two of them worked for half an hour or so and cooked the ham in the kitchen. Sakura realized that Deidara was actually easy to get along with if you knew the right words to say to him and if you knew how to avoid hitting a nerve. She'd only been with him twice and she already knew him well. Or did she?

He was in a gang with Itachi, after all. The man she was staying with at the moment had a lot of secrets to hide despite them sleeping under the same roof. What more regarding the man beside her now? What was he like outside of the bakery? If he knew who she was, would he still act the way he was acting right now? It was pretty obvious he liked her. He was making it obvious with every look and every time their hands met by accident. He would let his hand touch hers seconds longer than it should. He would look at her more affectionately than any normal acquaintance would.

When she looked at him more closely, she realized he was actually just a year or two older than she was.

"I don't mean to strike a nerve here but you're part of the same gang as Itachi's, right?"

He finished his sandwich before answering to her. "Yeah. We're on the same gang. We're not that close but I know everything I need to know about him."

The two talked about Itachi for quite a while but Sakura didn't discover anything that she didn't already know. She a bit disappointed because the reason she'd thrown Itachi's name into the conversation was because she'd hoped Deidara could slip in some new information for about him. But this was probably for the best.

When she checked her watch for the last time, she rose and bid Deidara goodbye.

"I'll be back tomorrow just in case you'll miss me," she chuckled jokingly as she started for the door.

Immediately, Deidara got off of his seat and went after Sakura, catching her hand in his and spinning her around. "How did you know I was going to miss you, hm?"

Taken by surprise—and moreover by the butterflies he'd sent into her stomach—she could only look at him for a long moment. His eyes were on hers and it felt like they were piercing through her pupils. He was smirking and she didn't know what it was about that smug smile that made the butterflies in her stomach go wild. And then she realized he wasn't really smirking… That was his usual smile which resembled an arrogant expression and she liked it even more.

He moved in closer and she was tempted to do the same if it weren't for the door chime that sounded behind her.

Her senses were cleared and for the first time since Deidara caught her by the hand, she finally thought, _This isn't right._ She pulled her hand away and ran for the door. Looking back, she saw Deidara pouting.

_I'm sorry_, she mouthed.

* * *

The evening of the day Sakura and Deidara nearly kissed in the bakery, Sakura rushed back to the hospital to wait for Itachi because she knew he was going to lose it again if he went to the hospital and she wasn't around again.

That night, she went to bed without dinner and without a word to Itachi. She knew that he'd noticed something was wrong and that whenever she'd shut the door behind him or when she turned around, he would simply shake his head at her. The first two nights, she was unable to sleep properly and was only lulled into slumber by the sound of Itachi playing his melody outside. She never bothered to go out and bother him mostly because she was too exhausted.

Ever since, Sakura would only pass by the bakery and look at him and smile from the other side of the window. She had not heard his voice in several days nor had she seen his smirk-like smile either. Moreover, she didn't want to talk to Naruto and chat with him that long anymore nor has she spoken to Sasuke… Not that he ever called. He did text to ask how she was once. To be honest, she didn't think Sasuke even cared and he was just reminded by something or someone that he had a girlfriend he should be caring for.

Deidara was a good friend, wasn't he? He'd made her laugh in one day more than Sasuke ever could and ever will. He was charming and sweet and kind and everything that Sasuke wasn't.

Finally, realizing that this was bothering her way more than it should, she planned to visit the bakery for the last time today after the end Tsunade's speech in this seminar… Which was close. How did she know? Tsunade had been practicing all morning and she'd memorized almost half of the speech.

When her mentor begun her last sentence, she snapped her cap on, pushing in all her hair carelessly into it and gesturing her mentor from the crowd that she was going to leave earlier. Tsunade winked at her subtly and she was off.

There was a sign on the door of the bakery. _Closed_.

He wasn't around, was he? Not when she was finally fed up of the feeling. She sighed and put a palm on her face letting her other hand on the closed door to brace herself from the light-headedness she was expecting to feel.

Only the door wasn't closed, she realized, when she almost fell face first on the floor of the bakery. In a split second, she was up on her feet, calling for Deidara. But there was no answer. She looked in the kitchen and in the bathroom but there was no one there. Where could he have gone to? And why did he leave the door unlocked?

"I take it you can't read, Haru," he said sternly. "We're closed. Come back another time." The coldness in his voice was not subtle. But then again, he had this thing about making his feelings about someone obvious. Very obvious. When he sensed that he wasn't going to leave anytime soon, he spoke again. "What do you want?"

She stepped closer but he didn't move. "I'm sorry for running off like that. I'm even sorrier for being such a coward and not facing this for the last few days," she said, her voice threatening to shake. "What I want is forgiveness."

"Why couldn't you just tell me if you didn't like me or anything," he replied, avoiding meeting her wide and apologetic eyes. "Besides, I know you have a boyfriend back home. I shouldn't have played with you like that. That's my mistake. I just couldn't believe that you didn't come back just because of that day."

"I know… I'm sorry," whispered Sakura. "I want to tell you something and I just thought you should know. I hope you can still accept me after this…"

Deidara, finally meeting her emerald eyes and noting that her face was much closer than it should be, waited in silence.

She'd reached a hand on her cap and slowly pulled it, still hesitant about telling Deidara about this. "The thing is…"

"Stop," a voice said from behind Deidara. "She's _mine_."

When they both turned their attentions to the doorway, a dark figure was standing there, arms crossed. "Put your cap back on. _Now_." He'd said the word firmly, as if he were threatening her that he would do something bad to her.

"Itachi," Deidara said, barely over a whisper. "You're her… But she said she had a boyfriend back _home_."

The tallest of the three walked over to Sakura and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Where do you assume might she have gotten such a cap exclusively sold in the Siren Central College?" He asked Deidara before shifting his gaze on Sakura. "I will not permit you to return here without my company."

And without another word, he dragged her out of the bakery faster than Deidara could register. Once again, he was left alone only this time, he was left alone with an explanation. A shocking one, that is. Sakura had almost fallen for him, he knew. He had his devious smile to thank. She was just as easy as all the other girls… But the thing was he had felt something different about her that made her different from the others and he hoped that it would fade away soon. If not, he'd be running a very gloomy bakery.

()

Itachi had taken Sakura out to dinner tonight. His place was left in quite a mess and he didn't feel like eating at home with such an environment. He would clean up the minute they got home. But then again, he had been saying that for days and every time, he would end up immersing himself with his project. His professor gave him another week to finish the composition and that would be the last extension he was giving Itachi.

Sakura, on the other hand, was playing with her phone and was tempted to text Naruto and tell him to call her because she was just about sure that she was going to hear it from her boyfriend's older brother who caught her with another man in her arms but she ended up not sending a word. She figured she deserved a good talking-to. It was just what she needed.

"Sakura_," here it comes_, she thought. "You have not touched the menu. Pick what you wish. I will be paying. I chose where to eat, after all."

She let the breath she'd unconsciously been holding out.

"I would not feel so relieved just yet, Sakura," he continued as his eyes scanned the selection of desserts this little restaurant had. "If you were not my younger brother's girlfriend and we were home, I would have slammed the door in your face and leave you with no other choice but to sleep outside tonight." Itachi saw the way Sakura's eyes threatened to shed a tear and sighed inwardly. "But we're not home, are we? And you're Sasuke's girlfriend after all. Pick whatever you like."

For over 10 times, Sakura flipped over the menu but found nothing she would like. When Itachi finally figured out her indecisive face, he called for a waiter and placed his order—a plate of grilled salmon and two glasses of cocktail juice.

"A plate of my order is too much for a person with a normal appetite to finish," he said. "And since you didn't know what to pick, I picked one for you."

In the 15 minutes they spent waiting for their order, none of the two talked. Sakura was too scared to say a word, afraid that he might find a way to change the topic back to what had happened in the bakery earlier. Itachi, on the other hand, did not feel like scolding on her in such a public place—not with the way she was looking at her phone with that adorable pout… Did he just think her pout was adorable?

It was. It really was.

"A plate of salmon with mashed potato and coleslaw, sir?" The waiter placed the oversized plate on the table without waiting for Itachi's confirmation (which he never intended to give anyway) and placed two tall glasses of cocktail juice on their table. After that, he was on his way to serve other tables.

"Please," Itachi said, handing her his fork. For the first time tonight, she saw that there was only a bread knife on her side of the table. "I shall ask for another. Go on ahead, Haruno."

She took the fork away from him, feeling their skin brush lightly against one another. She sliced a small piece and tasted the well-garnished salmon in front of her. It tasted just as good as it looked and it was begging to be eaten in the first place.

Several minutes passed before she realized she had already eaten 1/3 of what was on the plate… And that Itachi had not eaten yet.

"You don't have a fork yet," she said. Quickly, she wiped the fork with a napkin and handed it to Itachi. "I know you're just as hungry as I am, Itachi."

He didn't know what it was about the way she'd said his name that made him want to just watch her eat the whole night. But whatever it was, it wasn't as powerful as the energy in his stomach that was just dying to digest something. He accepted the fork and began eating as well.

She leaned over the table, placing both elbows on top and her chin at the back of her entwined hands. She looked over Itachi's shoulder as he ate in a proper posture, looking as formal as ever.

About ¾ of the customers were couples which made her a bit uncomfortable knowing that she was here with Itachi… Who was her boyfriend's older brother.

"Here," he said finally. He was wiping the fork with his own napkin when Sakura noticed him again.

She ate again, only this time, consciously. If Itachi somehow had some power in his eyes, he could have been burning a hole on her head right now. But that would just be preposterous, wouldn't it?

She felt a hand on her forehead and when she lifted her head, Itachi had risen a little from his seat, leaning over the table and reaching out to tuck a strand of hair back into the cap. His hand on her felt good. A little too good for her liking, in fact. She simply smiled at him and went back to eating. "We would not want anyone recognizing your eye-catching locks," he told her as he withdrew his hand from her.

After wiping the fork, she handed it back to him again. "I'm full," she said briefly and watched Itachi finish up the rest of the plate.

One last slice of salmon was left and she thought everything was over tonight and she could finally get some rest. But just as she was about to excuse herself to the restroom to fix up her hair, Itachi had the fork in front of her, just inches away from her lips.

"They say a meal is even more satisfying when you get the final bite," he said.

She looked at him for a moment and saw that his eyes were on the salmon… Or on her lips. She never could tell. Without thinking twice, she placed a hand over his and kept her gaze on their hands as she took the last bite of their dinner.

That was it. None of them moved. It was like everyone else in the restaurant, in the city and in the world had disappeared. This was the first time both of them have ever felt that they were all alone. Sakura never felt this whenever she was with Sasuke. It always felt like he was the one alone in his own little world. And Itachi always felt alone… Until she came along.

Itachi had placed the fork on the table but Sakura's eyes on him and hands on his never flinched. However, just when he was about to place his hand on hers, her phone rang.

Sakura took a quick glance at his other hand which was already nearing hers and snapped out of it. She was on her feet in a second and ran somewhere in the restaurant to talk to whoever was calling without even excusing herself from the table.

"Hello?"

"_Sakura,"_ a familiar voice said.

"Sasuke?"

"_Naruto told me I should call to ask how you're doing,"_ he said, sounding as passive as ever.

That's right. If it weren't for Naruto, he wouldn't call her at all.

She heard another voice in the background. A small, mute and feminine voice that she knew very well.

"Where are you?" She asked him, her tone suddenly changing.

"_I'm at Hinata's with Naruto and they're bugging me,"_ he answered. So Hinata was talking in the background. _"I'll call again. Bye."_

_I'll call again_. Yeah, right.

Before she pushed the phone back in her pocket, she sent Naruto a text, thanking him for telling Sasuke to call her… Even though it was pointless because Sasuke couldn't talk to her properly.

After texting, she walked back to their table and apologized to Itachi.

"Who was that, might I ask?" Asked the older of the two before he sipped on his cocktail. She noticed a smile somewhere on his face. It was unseen. But she knew it was still there. Could it be from what happened just moments ago?

She smiled and felt a bit awkward. Just minutes after having a 'moment' with Itachi, they were going to talk about Sasuke now.

"It was Sasuke," she answered quietly. Itachi remained silent. "He asked how I was doing... But I couldn't answer becau—"

Again, her phone rang but this time, it was a message. When she opened to read it, her heart dropped in her stomach in a painful way… But it wasn't as painful as she imagined it would be.

**From**: Naruto  
**Message**: What do you mean? I never told Sasuke to call you. I'm not at Hinata's either. I haven't seen him since he visited Hinata last night.

She slammed the phone on the table and ran to the restroom. Itachi waited until he finished his juice before he reached out for the phone. When he read the message, a fire started within him. A wild one. And he didn't know how he, or anyone, could extinguish it. He was mad. He saw the tears in Sakura's eyes before she made a run for it. Even if it was just for a split second, he figured that her friend's text message must have been painful for her tears to well up in her eyes that fast.

He was mad at his little brother for making such a beautiful lady like Sakura run away in tears. She may have almost betrayed Sasuke but this was not what she deserved. In fact, knowing Sasuke, this was far from what she deserved.


	5. Finding the Trigger and Her Sanctuary

**There will be something different about this chapter and I'll give you a hint; it's _how_ I write. I've been back to reading fan fictions lately and I'm done will elle6778's The Lost One and The Return of the Heir. *claps* A round of applause for elle6778, everybody. Anyway, I know you've all been itching to read some ItaSaku goodness so here you go!**

**Also, I am in need of:**  
**-Beta Readers**  
**-Illustrators**  
**-Fan Fiction recommendations (ItaSaku, DeiSaku or KakaSaku; somewhere between 70,000-200,000 words. I like long fics.)**  
**-Inspiring or Critical Reviews (whichever floats your boat)**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter** **V**_  
Finding the Trigger and Her Sanctuary_

_This is just great,_ Sakura thought to herself as she stood against the wall in the alleyway just beside the restaurant. She held Itachi's cap in one hand and her forehead in the other.

She felt the rain upon her skin and when she looked up, it was dark and cloudy. The tears she'd been holding in the last few minutes were finally let out. In one quick move, she had her back against the wall and slowly moved down until her knees hit the ground. Her head, she kept rested on the wall as she turned to face the entrance of the alleyway. Keeping her head high, she prayed to the gods that she would get over this soon enough. She prayed that someone would be there for her and help her through this.

The hardest part of it all was accepting that she'd been dumb enough to take the chance with Uchiha Sasuke. After several years with him, watching him and memorizing him, she should have known better. Just because someone endured pain for another doesn't mean that the other had to repay it. Sasuke never asked her to love him, anyway. How foolish of her to think that she could change Sasuke. How stupid of her to think that Sasuke would actually develop real feelings for her—his gratitude towards her because she was always there for him was not enough grounds for him to go into a relationship with her. She should have seen the conclusion before this even began.

It just pained her to realize that she let her feelings get the best of her. It was as if reality slapped her really hard, telling her that she was foolish to believe in some miracle.

She was soaking wet. Her hair and clothes from the rain and her face from her tears. Naruto told her a million times that going out with Sasuke was going to be a mistake. She didn't listen and wanted to prove him wrong. She'd been successful in rubbing it in Naruto's face for a few months… Until now.

The rain washed mercilessly over the streets and over the buildings but she couldn't seem to care that she was getting soaked as well. All that occupied her mind at the moment was her naivety and the fact that any minute now, Itachi would come looking for her and tell her that this was just what she deserved—that this was her karma for almost cheating on his little brother.

"Sakura," she heard from the entrance of the alley.

And here comes that one person she'd been expecting.

Unmoving and still, her eyes remained fixed on the dark figure who stood under an umbrella. He rushed closer and bent down on one knee until he was face-to-face with her, making sure that they both were sheltered by the small umbrella and that there was enough space for them to breathe in their personal space.

He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. But then again, she didn't really have any choice. When she prayed for someone to talk to, Kami didn't have any other option but Uchiha Itachi.

"I know," she whispered. Itachi inclined his head in curiosity but his face remaining impassive. "I deserve this for being such a douche bag." She buried her face into the palm of her hands, the shame finally sinking in. "Who better to find out than Sasuke's older brother, of course."

"Save your eyes from your tears," he said simply, catching her off guard.

There was nothing else for him to say, mostly because for the first time since they met, he had nothing to say to her. But it was more than that. This wasn't the first time he'd heard of such a problematic situation of a person but this was definitely the first time he wanted to say something about it. It was definitely the first time he wanted to comfort somebody else. One problem seemed to bother him though: He had no knowledge on how to comfort anyone—especially not a certain emotional and naïve teenager.

He reached for her hand, passing the umbrella for her to hold as he pushed his hand in his pocket, digging for her phone. When he finally got hold of it, he took her hand and placed the phone on her palm, closing her fingers around it for her. They stayed like that for a brief moment, her eyes never ceasing to look at his dark orbs. His face was impassive and so was his look but the tiny sense of concern that accompanied his look was not ignored.

Still, her posture remained but the emotion that was there previously had completely been replaced by a sense of gratitude. There was a list of the people she wanted to be with right now and Itachi's name had not been written on it. Everyone else on the list was back in Konoha but she was now thanking the heavens that Itachi was right in front of her, his hand on hers.

"We must get you some place warm." With a hand, he took the umbrella away from her clutches and pulled her to her feet with the other. "I know of a place nearby." He bent over and retrieved the cap—his cap—that she dropped and asked her to put it back on before they left the alleyway.

He was without a jacket or anything to keep the young woman warm. He could just let her rub her arms but that just would be such an un-gentleman thing to do, wasn't it? With slight reluctance, he put an arm around her and allowed her petite soaked body make direct contact with his. As they walked to the other block, Itachi could feel the dampness of her clothes seep through the fabric of his shirt… And curves that he never saw on her—not that he was examining her when she was occupied with something else.

Sakura, on the other hand, was tense under his arm. He could feel it too, she knew. Not that she was complaining about his arm around her—which felt sort of nice in an awkward way—but they were way too close for her liking.

They passed about three shops total on the second block when Itachi led her into an inn. It was small but the ambiance was definitely that of a decent inn—one that many were not afraid of staying in. When he withdrew his arm from her to close his umbrella, she felt a bit of disappointment wash over her and soon enough, she started to feel cool under the damp of her clothes without his body warmth.

Without a word, he walked to the counter, silently telling her to stay right where she was.

"Itachi-kun," she heard the woman behind the counter greet him in a cheery way. "Long time, no see. What brings you here? And where's Kisame?" She leaned over the tabletop, exposing just an inch of her cleavage to him but it appeared from Sakura's view that he paid no mind, if he noticed at all, to her attempt to notice her well-developed bosom.

He turned to Sakura just before he answered to the woman. "I'm here on personal business, Erika," she seemed to pick up the cold tone in his voice and stood straight again. "We merely wish to stay here until the rain lets up. And also, may I request a towel for my companion?"

Erika looked near the doorway and found the teenage girl practically shivering where she stood. "What were you two doing out in that weather, anyway?" She turned her attention to Itachi in an attempt to question their purpose of walking outside in such weather but Itachi never gave the right answer so she gestured to Sakura. "Take a seat, please. I'll go fetch a towel for you. And a hot drink, too."

In less than a minute, she was back with a neatly folded towel and offered it to Sakura who was now sitting on the bar chair. On the other side of the room, Itachi watched intently as his companion wrapped the towel around her back. Her shivering reduced but he could see that chills ran down her back occasionally. If he recalled correctly, they'd passed by a clothing shop before they entered the inn. If he was lucky, he could find a cheap shirt the teenage girl could wear for the night.

"Erika, I will return in a few minutes," he said, opening his umbrella. "Please keep my friend entertained."

And with that, he was gone with a light slam of the door behind him. Erika moved to sit next to Sakura. "So, what's your name?" She asked, reaching out a hand. "I'm Matsumoto Erika, by the way. My parents own this place."

The pink-haired lady shook Erika's hand. "I'm Sakura," answered the younger.

"I'm sorry we don't have any coffee or hot chocolate left," she said grimly as she hung her head. "But if there's anything else you need, just say so. Itachi-kun and her friend visit this place often when on a break from their gang business. Kisame is Itachi-kun's partner. He drinks a lot and always ends up staying in here for the night—Kisame, I mean. Itachi-kun never stays with him. Says he's never worth or the stress the effort because Kisame never learns."

Sakura smiled at the information. She knew Erika had told her much more than she should have but Sakura didn't mind. She didn't find any of the information useful, anyway. She just pondered upon the fact that Itachi had never been one for alcoholic beverages. He either consumed it occasionally or never at all.

And speaking of drinking.

"Erika-san," she addressed her for the first time. "Can I get some alcohol to drink? I just need something to warm me up." _And something to drown myself in_.

Both eyes of the older creased as she jumped off and excused herself to get Sakura just what she asked for in the far back. While Erika searched for an appropriate one to drink, like she said before hopping of the stool, Sakura unlocked her phone and texted Naruto. But then she deleted the message and decided to call him instead.

It didn't take long before he answered. _"Sakura-chan?"_

"Naruto," she answered back with a stoic voice. "What were you going to tell me about Sasuke the last time I called?"

"_Oh, that,"_ he said. The tone suggested that she didn't need to ask anymore because it didn't sound like he was going to follow up his answer soon. He was waiting for her to say it herself but when he found she wasn't speaking anytime soon, he spoke in her stead. _"Sasuke's been seeing Hinata. I only found out the morning of the last time I called you. I was going to tell you, Sakura-chan. I really was. But Sasuke came in, asking me to bring him to Hinata's place. I left early because I had a thing with Kiba and the other guys. I haven't seen him since and it turns out that he'd been seeing her in secret. Even when you were still here. Neji said Hinata had been really down lately and he could feel a guilty aura around her because she was always so jumpy the past few weeks."_ No one could blame Hinata for feeling guilty, though. If Sakura were to be the third party, she'd run straight to the girl and say exactly what was going on regardless of the consequences she would face.

She didn't bother analyzing how the hell he found time to meet her right under her nose but then again, she recalled, he was hardly ever around. If he wasn't too busy accomplishing school works or anything else that he deemed to matter, it was always another commitment.

"So, all this time," she sighed. "Stupid of me, huh?"

A sigh was audible from the other end. _"Sakura-chan, if I could be there for you right now, I would be. Do you want me to go there? Right now?"_

As much as she wished for him to be by her side, it was highly improbable that he would be able to locate her in a city so big. The most predictable outcome of his coming to Central City was that he would get lost during his first five minutes, considering his absence of a sense of direction. "No thanks, Naruto. I appreciate it but I'll be fine. I'll be home in less than a week. See you until then, I guess."

"_You take care over there, okay? Don't try anything stupid," _warned Naruto. His concern made her lips tug at the side for a second.

With a sound of affirmation, Naruto said his goodbye and she did so as well. When he hung up, she sighed, leaving her phone on the counter. Her answer to his warning was an empty promise, of course. It was at that moment when Erika walked out of the kitchen with a big bottle and a couple of cups.

_Sorry, Naruto,_ she thought as she eyed the bottle. Drinking was not something she used to engage in back in Konoha. When Ino invited them to her usually wild and rowdy parties, Sakura hardly ever looked at the table of alcohol. Naruto would ask her occasionally though he always knew just what she was going to say about his offer. The blonde was a good friend and when he'd always tempt her to drink, it was only for laughs and to make conversation with her. That, she very well knew. What kind of person would want their best friend to learn to do one of the non-sensible vices ever?

Non-sensible was what she used to describe it seeing there clearly was no reason to consume such troublesome beverages. But now was her chance to see what everyone else in school liked about it and why it was addictive.

"Here we go," Erika announced as she poured sake into one cup. "Not too strong so that Itachi won't leave you here like he does to Kisame." A chuckle escaped her when she pushed the small cup across the wooden surface to Sakura. She then poured herself some and immediately took it all down without even setting the bottle down.

Contrary to what Erika assumed, Sakura had this feeling in her gut that even if she passed out right here and now, Itachi still wouldn't abandon her here. She didn't really know. She wasn't really sure but there was something inside her, telling her that it was highly unlikely for that to happen.

The both of them continued to drink their way to the bottom of the bottle. Erika was more talkative now that she'd had almost a dozen cups down her throat and Sakura only nodded and smiled at her stories about Itachi and Kisame's stay in here. While she babbled on about another event, she let her mind drift away to Itachi's whereabouts. He said he'd come back but it'd been almost half an hour already since he left.

_Speak of the devil_, she thought as Itachi entered the inn with a bag in the hand that wasn't clutching the umbrella. He slid the bag on his forearm and shut the umbrella with both hands, leaving it on the rack to dry with the umbrellas of the other customers.

When he casted a look on the reddened faces of the girls and the bottle on the counter, he frowned. And it had nothing to do with Erika. With the way Sakura was bracing herself on the top of the bar, he knew right then that she was not that experienced when it came down to handling her alcohol intake and resistance. He marched right up to her and put the cup away from her.

"There was nothing else to drink," he heard her say, hearing a slight slur in her manner of speaking. "And I needed to heat myself up, y'know." She was partly drunk already. He could see it on her face. But it was surprising that her voice did not sound as drunk as her reddened face seemed nor did her actions give away her state of intoxication—except for her lack of control to keep her head from swaying. Maybe she was more in control than he'd first thought.

Erika continued on with her story, not seeming to notice that Itachi had returned. It didn't surprise him. One time, he'd left an unconscious Kisame beside this same young lady who was just as drunk as the brute man. Even when he was at the doorway to exit the inn, he could hear Erika laughing at her own tales, continuing to tell stories to a man who had passed out an hour ago.

He pulled away the towel from her and handed to her the bag. "I bought a shirt for you to change in and a jacket for our trip back to my residence," said Itachi, helping Sakura off of the chair. The shirt was easy to find but he'd found a thick and weather-appropriate jacket two blocks away and that's what took him longer. "Let me assist you to the bathroom."

Itachi was wrong to think that Sakura was not as intoxicated as she looked. In fact, it was the voice and her actions that seemed to mask her intoxication even though her face seemed to give her away.

When Itachi guided Sakura to turn to a narrow hall with two doors, one door on each side, and a sink just in the end of the hall, the pink-haired lady went straight for the sink and propped herself up to take a seat on the edge of it. She let her head against the wall and her eyes slowly closed.

He groaned inwardly and his eyes rolled subtly. Even with his companion unconscious, he still could not let any form of emotion or expressions escape him. When he approached her nearly-asleep form, he took her hand in his and shook her shoulder with the other. "Sakura, I will not allow you to sleep wearing your soaked wardrobe," he said. "Change. Now."

Fluttering her eyes open, she smiled weakly when she noted that Itachi's face was just inches away from her. "It sucks really bad," she started and giggled a little afterwards. "I really don't find alcohol pleasing at all but it sure was nice to forget for a little while." Itachi inclined his head, not seeming like he followed her. "I can't forget about Sasuke like this," groaned Sakura. "Not with someone who looks so much like him inches away from me. But then again, there's nothing to forget in the first place, is there? Can I even say that I _loved_ him?"

Not knowing how to respond to such a dilemma without stomping on her teenage perspective about relationships and the current situation, he only averted his eyes, in hope that she would snap out of it soon because if not, he'd be forced to do things he did not wish to do. Like change her clothes for her.

"What's that you got there?" Sakura asked, pulling the bag away from him. He took a step back as Sakura descended from the sink and peered into the small bag. "Oh, right," she chuckled sheepishly. "Gotta go change my clothes then!" She opened the door to the ladies' comfort room and switched the lights on. She grimaced at the sight of the bathroom. "I can't put my clothes anywhere here! The sink is wet and there's soap all over the top of the toilet!"

If he weren't so impassive, Itachi would have given himself an exaggerated facepalm the minute she complained about the sink being wet; seemingly forgetting that she was soaked in rainwater so it didn't really matter. But before he could protest, Sakura had pulled him in the bathroom and locked the door without thinking. It was probably the alcohol finally taking effect in the last part of her brain that was functioning according to her will. When all this was over, he had to lecture her into not taking in anymore of that stuff.

Her hands reached for the light switch and when it was finally dark, Itachi heard her clothes rustle. He felt uncomfortable at the moment. Even a man of his caliber when it came to self-control could still commit such a fault when the circumstances are against him. A man could only handle so much, after all. Like right now. A young woman whose beauty was as exotic as they could get was in front of him, taking off her top in the dark. It took everything in him not to reach out and pull her closer when she tossed him the wet shirt.

He heard the bag drop and even felt it on his foot. Another sound of rustling accompanied by Sakura's frustrated groans sounded in the dark and Itachi could not make out why she sounded so irritated. Much to his surprise, a topless Sakura came into vision again. Her arm was stretched to the light switch.

"Just a minute, Itachi," she said in a slur. "I can't see the right side of the shirt."

Finding it very hard to avert his gaze from her well-developed body and the lacy pink bra that covered up the part that he subconsciously wanted his eyes upon most, he dropped his head and wrung the wet article of clothing in his hands to his side.

Despite what she looked like with clothes on, she had a very nice form underneath the layer of loose clothing she chose to wear that made her look more petite than she already was. Her curves were placed in all the right places and he wondered if Sasuke had ever seen her like this. But then again, if Sasuke ever did, his foolish little brother wouldn't have given her up so easily. Itachi knew that he, himself, wouldn't give her up so easily if she ever became his even if he had not laid his eyes on her figure yet.

"There's nothing for you to see here, Itachi," she exclaimed weakly at him. With slight difficulty, Sakura slipped the shirt on and faced him. "Sooooo?"

He shook his head subtly and placed her shirt on the sink for a moment to take off Sakura's shirt again. He'd had enough of this torture and the sooner he put the shirt on right for her, the sooner he could get her home and lock her in his room for her to rest and forget about this—if she _could_ forget about this—because he sure as hell wouldn't be able to.

His knuckles grazed against the skin of her sides and she practically moaned at the sensation of his warm hands running up her sides. She held her arms up and allowed Itachi to pull the shirt completely off of her. Once it was off, she ran a finger through her hair to comb it and then held her arms in the air again, waiting for him to slip it on her again. As he did, he did it slower this time, taking his time to savor her body with his eyes as the fabric of the shirt passed over her eyes.

She slipped her arms through the sleeves and straightened the hem of the shirt whilst Itachi reached for the hair caught under the shirt in an attempt to fix it for her. When his hands reached the back of her neck, instead of pushing the hair out of the shirt, he felt his palm on her neck and he pulled her in closer for a brief touch of their lips.

It was only for a few seconds before he pulled back. And, surprisingly, he had no regrets. Bewilderment at the fact that what he did was of his own free will, he felt somewhere. But no trace of regret. He felt a bit anxious about what was to happen if Sakura snapped out of her intoxicated state of mind but he had no problem with hiding that underneath his usual impassive look.

Meanwhile, Sakura was too busy looking at Itachi's thin and beautiful lips to even see the shock in Itachi's eye even if it did only remain for a second or two. "Itachi..." She whispered barely over a whisper. She placed a hand on his defined chest and moved in closer, aiming for another kiss. Seeing that Itachi had withdrawn because of what he had done earlier, she said quietly as her lips brushed over the corner of his, "Please."

_Screw it,_ he thought. He hated that word. Actually, he only hated how she looked at him with those puppy eyes and that pout. She was truly irresistible even without her begging. He pulled her body closer with his other arm that snaked its way around her waist and to her back the minute his lips crashed on hers.

Sakura allowed him access in her mouth as her hand found itself in his raven locks, tangling into them wildly as she stood on her toes to meet him halfway.

Itachi strode one foot forward causing her to move backward by instinct. He kept moving forward slowly until he had her pinned on the cold tiled wall of the bathroom. The hand previously placed on her neck was now against the wall, trapping her in from one side and his other hand never left her back. He felt both her hands thread behind his neck. His hands were on autopilot, he realized, when he felt them on her hips. Effortlessly, he lifted her up, letting her legs wrap around his waist.

His hot mouth was on her neck in an instant and Sakura made no effort to hide her moan. It was new. It was sensational. Bliss was the only word she could think of right now. She could get used to this. The feeling was addictive—much similar to a drug or alcohol. But this… This strange craving for more of him felt right.

Her hands slid into the collar of his shirt and he gripped her thighs tighter as he ravished her collarbone with hungry yet passionate kisses. Her evident need for him was beginning to get to him as he pushed his pelvis in the clothed heat between her legs. He wanted to take her home. He longed to lock themselves and have her tangled in the sheets of his bed as he placed kisses all over her body. If she weren't so drunk, would she still have accepted his first kiss? Would she still initiate what had brought them right where they were? Or would she simply retreat at the first sign of advance he would give her?

His movements halted and she seemed to notice it too. Slowly retreating, her hands found their way back to his chest. He'd buried his face in her neck as did her face in his. He was aware that she did not know why he had stopped all of a sudden and she was most likely thinking that he was only exhausted or contemplating whether he should continue or not.

The latter of the possible assumptions was closer to the truth. He was thinking very seriously. The first was chaste and quick. It was completely innocent and he was the one to initiate it. However, this that they had just ceased to continue, it was something more. It was hungry and intense—both which were not characteristics of the both of them in their normal condition.

His thoughts were cut short when footsteps sounded from outside. Gently, he set Sakura on her foot. Her arms never left his chest and he was a little grateful for that for some unknown reason.

There was a short rap on the door and Sakura pushed Itachi aside to the back of the door just before she answered it.

"Sakura-chan~" If it hadn't been for the suffix at the end of her name, Itachi never would have understood what she'd said. "Have you seen Itachi?" Her words were barely understandable but Itachi guessed in the back of his mind that the drunk understood each other in a very strange manner.

"He's upstairs, I think," she said. Itachi's head snapped back to her when it dawned upon him that she didn't even stutter and was speaking clearly. "Didn't you see him?" She hid her face at the back of the door, pretending to scratch her nose when she, in fact, gave Itachi a wink. His confusion was cleared when he saw her face practically half-asleep.

She was still very drunk but she knew what was happening and hid the fact that Itachi was in the bathroom with her. If that was so and she still could correct her way of speaking, then she was still aware of what had happened just a minute ago?

Erika looked puzzled when Sakura met her eyes again. But as if a light loomed above her head, Erika smiled at Sakura widely before trotting happily to look for Itachi upstairs.

When she was certain that the small hallway had been cleared, she and Itachi stepped out of the small space and tiptoed back to the main area of the inn. Sighting her unfinished cup of sake on the countertop, she made a beeline for it, almost tripping along the way as she dragged her feet sluggishly, but the dark man made it first and pushed it away from her. She pouted, hoping that it would work on him again like it had earlier in the bathroom.

Itachi narrowed his eyes down on her, telling her silently that it was going to be the only warning she was getting. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, walking away from the countertop. Itachi followed after, handing her the tightly twisted shirt she'd worn earlier when they arrived and the other bag which, she assumed, contained the jacket he'd been talking about. He unfolded the umbrella and was about to take Sakura to make a run for it before Erika discovered that he was actually not upstairs.

He found Erika a troublesome, frankly. When she was drunk, her already-obvious desire for him intensified and she would pine over him unless she would pass out due to light-headedness or if he found an excuse to leave early, which was what he did about most of the time they visited this place. When she regained consciousness and found Itachi gone, she settled for Kisame and gigantic partner almost had no problems with being just a second choice. It got him to bed, didn't it?

When he tugged on Sakura, almost fell flat on her face if it weren't for his reflexes. She wouldn't be able to travel across this block without his support. Finally making up his mind, he pulled out the winter green jacket he bought from several blocks down and replaced it with the umbrella he folded just now. With one swift movement, he draped it over Sakura's torso and scooped her in his arms bridal style with ease.

The rain had lightened a bit but that didn't mean it was still not brutal over his head. He had walked over two blocks when he felt Sakura shift in his hands. He didn't know when she did it, but when he noticed, Sakura had opened the umbrella and held it for him as he carried her under the pouring rain.

She nudged her head a bit more into his chest. With him carrying her like this, like a babe, she felt so little, so vulnerable in his arms against his strong chest. He was a dangerous man, Sakura acknowledged. But when it came down to it, she learned that he was genuinely reliable. Like right now. It might be the alcohol speaking but it was a very comforting thing to keep in mind that despite his mysterious character, he was actually very protective. She could tell so just by the feel of him carrying her close to his chest.

His chest… She felt like she was safe right here, with her head pressed against him. This was probably the safest she'd ever felt since she arrived in the city and she wished to prolong the feeling. There was his heartbeat to distract her from all those gunshots that soon would be aimed to her and there was the warmth that replaced the warmth Sasuke supposedly wrapped her around in. Supposedly. She wanted this to last. Would he allow it, if she asked him?

What was she thinking? Tomorrow, when she finally snapped out from all of this, he would probably go back to normal as well. This could all just be a play. He could merely be taking advantage of her vulnerable state to get under her skin. But maybe it wasn't. Maybe she was plainly overthinking this whole situation. Maybe he actually cared. _Maybe_.

She shouldn't be thinking of this. Right now, all she wanted to do was embrace the feeling of security she felt in his arms.

()

At long last, they reached his place. Sakura hitched off of him as he searched his pockets for his keys. When the door opened, Itachi turned on the lights while Sakura dragged herself with difficulty to the couch.

"Do not lie on the couch with those clothes," he instructed her. "I will get you a new change of clothes and a towel to wipe yourself with." He disappeared for a moment in his own room, zipping Sakura's bags open to find her sleeping clothes. Before he left the room, he noticed his compositions on the top of the bed. He had almost forgotten about these. He could continue to work on them now but he was merely too tired to carry on. He had done enough _carrying_ for today, anyway.

She was bracing herself on the wall when he exited his room. Handing her the clothes and towel he had retrieved, he marched back in the bedroom and found a change of clothes for himself before making a beeline for the bathroom, instructing Sakura to change her clothes in the bedroom and proceed immediately to rest. Before she could answer, however, Itachi had closed the door on her.

Uncomfortably, Itachi slipped out of his wet attire and wiped himself with the towel he kept in the cabinet. He was far too tired for a quick shower so after drying himself up, he put on the new clothes and left the bathroom only to find the pink-haired lady lying on the couch half-naked.

No, it was not her top this time. He shook his head. Really, this girl was really a pain at certain times. With a shake of his head, he walked back in his bedroom and grabbed the blanket neatly folded above his pillows.

Her figure seemed so fragile, he thought, as she lay on his couch. She was facing the television, one unclothed leg over the other. Lucky for him, she was not the type to don lingerie and skimpy underwear—not counting her bra in, of course. She seemed to have a thing for lace, noting from earlier when he was searching for something for her to wear. Sakura seemed to collect them, in fact, when he realized she did not carry any simple bras with her.

He felt like a pervert, picturing Sakura's underwear bag in his head.

He knelt beside her, keeping his eyes on her sleeping features, appreciating how she looked so peaceful and serene under the dim light of his living room. Which reminded him that he should probably turn off the lights now, too.

When he sat back on the floor in front of the couch, he watched her sleep. Her breathing was steady and she seemed so comfortable, considering her head was now on the pillow Itachi had been using the past several days. His scent, surely, stayed on the pillowcase and she must have caught a whiff of it, doubtlessly.

The moonlight that penetrated through the thin curtains of his apartment was the only source of light that night. Of course, the lunar light from the satellite disappeared from time to time considering that it was quite cloudy outside and it was threatening to rain again, he saw. The light crawled from Sakura's hair to her eyes, stopping there to emphasize her eyelids.

What would it look like if she were to open her eyes right now as the moonlight illuminated her eyes and hair? _Angelic_, he thought. Simply angelic.

The longer he pondered on the word, the more he recollected of what had happened earlier in the restroom. That little occurrence and her mood during that moment were far from what she seemed to be right now. She seemed possessed, like a different person, but at the same time, she seemed like she was the real Sakura. She was the Sakura who had been caged in and let out just tonight. Caged in by no one other than his brother, he thought.

By ignoring what Sakura had longed for so long, that part of Sakura chose to reserve herself, knowing that he was not going to see it anytime soon, or at worst, ever. But what had triggered Sakura to let that emotion out.

Could it be? His brother had not kissed this lovely young woman who was now sleeping soundly on his couch, had he? If he had, Sakura wouldn't have been so aggressive… So desperate and longing earlier. She had been locking up so much passion in her that when he initiated a move, that part of her must have awakened and pounced at the opportunity to vent.

There was a pang in his chest, telling him that it was wrong in both ways. First, Sakura had used him as a sponge for all the passion she'd been holding. Now that she had let it all out, would she even dare to hold his hand or kiss him as heatedly as she did? He sure didn't mind. Second, he shouldn't be taking such advantage of the teenager's pent up feelings. Not that he was, anyway. While they exchanged heat, something inside him broke free as well. He brushed the thought aside with a huff.

No, it was only a false alarm, he convinced himself. It couldn't have been what he thought it was. It was impossible for him.

He felt his eyes get heavier by the minute. He decided to rest his eyes momentarily on the couch seats, just in front of Sakura's face, before he would fetch a couple of blankets to sleep on the floor. However, he never woke up that night, falling asleep seated on the floor with his side against the couch.

And then he'd heard a melody.

* * *

**Thank you again so much, all you! If you want to get to talk to me more or if you're interested in role playing, I have one here:**

** www . fanfiction myforums / demoNiko / 2090297 /**

**It's new so I want my readers to join in the OC fun!**

**God Bless, ya'll.**


	6. Bothersome

I'm back, everyone! Here's a gift from me! I'm celebrating because I have no failed subjects for the semester. I'm so happy about that because I have been struggling not to fail! Anyway, I think I'll be updating regularly because it's summer vacation now though I still have summer classes for one subject... But I think I'm good.

Again, RnR. :)

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**Chapter** **VI**  
_Bothersome_

_The room was filled with people who featured similar characteristics as him. Dark hair, lean built and dark eyes. By instinct, his feet had brought him in front of the kitchen door. He looked at the door knob, noting that it was just the level of his eyes. He'd grown the last few months, noted Itachi. He twisted the knob to find a tall and slender woman bent over the sink, singing a wonderful and familiar melody as she continued her task. Seeming surprised, the woman turned her head to him and sighed in relief when she realized it was only him._

"_Good afternoon, Itachi-chan," she greeted, stopping the running water from the faucet. She took off her gloves and started towards him. Meeting his eye level, she knelt on one knee and planted a kiss on his forehead as she caressed his hair with on hand. "How was school? I hope my invited guests won't disturb you while you study for the examination week," she said apologetically. "It's only for today, anyway. It's Sasuke's birthday after all."_

_He shook his head. "A little gathering will not distract me from my studies, Okaa-san," Itachi cheerfully answered. "I do not have much to study, besides. I've already read in advance during my free time."_

"_Oh, good," cheered her mother. "Can I count on you to watch Sasuke for a few minutes? You're fathers busy with all the guests. Sasuke is sleeping in his bedroom so make sure to be quiet when you enter, okay?" When Itachi confirmed her request, he gave him a light pat on the head and exited by the back door. "I'll be back," she bid him._

_He marched to the guest room to cross over to the bedrooms. As he walked behind the couch placed in the middle of the well-furnished room, his father called out his name._

"_Yes, Otou-san?" He answered when his father pulled him closer._

_Mr. Uchiha had been talking to four people when he pulled Itachi closer. "This," he said with a hint of pride in his voice. "This is my eldest son. He advances from 2__nd__ grade to 3__rd__ grade in a few weeks. He excels very well in school and in his tae kwon do sessions."_

_The people his father had been addressing to exchanged words—words of praise and pride at the young Uchiha. _

_He pulled back from his father's grasp. "I would like to excuse myself, Otou-san," Itachi said in a very polite yet cold voice. "Okaa-san asked me to look after my little brother." Without waiting for his permission, Itachi walked briskly into the hallway where three doors stood and entered the first one on the left._

_And in there, was a tiny crib which held his little brother a prisoner behind its bars. Sasuke was no older than a year or two. He was so adorable and it didn't surprise Itachi that he thought so despite his indifferent thoughts about puppies and babies. Sasuke was his little brother after all._

_Sasuke was busy playing with his baby blanket when he noticed Itachi's presence. He looked at him through the messy hair that covered his eyes. Hurriedly, Sasuke crawled to Itachi, his arms reaching through the bars. When he realized he couldn't get through to his older brother, he bawled._

_He pulled a chair near his crib to assist him in leaning over the barrier that separated them and carried the baby in his arms without difficulty. He was used to this. His father was not around when his mother gave birth to Sasuke and so he was the one to carry him after his mother did._

_With Sasuke in his arms, the baby's crying ceased. Itachi glanced down on him, strands of his long hair falling in front of his face, tickling his little brother's nose. Sasuke giggled and he couldn't help but smile at the sound of his infant laugh. _

_In a blink of an eye, Sasuke was already seven years old and Itachi was hugging his little brother, looking at the ocean over Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke wriggled out of his hold and gripped his hand._

"_Onii-san," the younger cheered. "Let's go to the party room where Okaa-san is!" He kept pulling Itachi but for some reason, his feet remained glued on the floor. "Let's play there!"_

_The reason became clear, however, when a man, a few years older than he was, stepped beside him, pushing his hands into his pocket. He was a couple years older. Tobi. He was a distant relative, apparently. And that was why he was on this boat right now, too._

"_I'm sorry, Sasuke," he began, glancing at Tobi warily from the corner of his eyes. When his eyes were on Sasuke once again, he poked his forehead with a smile. "Maybe later again?"_

_Sasuke frowned a marched away from Itachi without a word. Really, that child. It would take less than five minutes for his anger to wear off, he knew. He had memorized him after all._

"_So how do you want to go through this, Itachi?" Tobi asked the second Sasuke was out of earshot. _

_It took several seconds for Itachi's mind to register where he had heard that line before. But when the answer was finally given light, it was too late for them. He had already dropped the lighter and no sooner, the whole boat that carried his whole clan burst in flames._

_He panicked, running around the deck, looking for his little brother who had seen him drop the lighter earlier. When he finally caught a glimpse of a small figure running through the crowd, he ran after him. However, when he almost caught him, his little brother jumped for the water._

()

His dream was far from pleasant, that was for sure, though his awakening was the complete opposite. It was heavenly. It was something he had not felt in a thousand mornings.

His eyes opened the minute the sun pierced through the thin of the curtains and his eyelids. He woke up with the face of Sakura in a tranquil slumber inches away from his. This, he could remember from last night, having fallen asleep on the floor with his head on the couch. But what he could not seem to recall was how the heck his hand intertwined with hers in the middle of the night.

He smoothly untangled his fingers from hers, and quietly strode to the bedroom and to the bathroom.

Like most people, he did most of his thinking inside the shower. He braced himself against the tiled walls of the bathroom, feeling the pelting of the water droplets on his bare body. With one hand, he slicked the loose strands of his hair back in place.

What really did happen last night? Was she just so drunk, intoxicated by the alcohol, to the point that she had been carried away by her pent up feelings? Was it wrong that he had taken advantage of her?

Honestly, she was also partially to blame for what had happened. When she'd hidden the fact that he was in the bathroom with her from Erika and was able to fake being a sober tone, he realized that she was completely aware of what was happening. Or probably not. He was not at all familiar with her in her drunken state of mind, after all. That was the first time he'd ever seen her like that. Still, she pulled him into the bathroom with him and that was as much as a man could handle.

What would she say if she ever remembered what they had done last night? How would she react to the fact that Itachi had seen her topless? What would she say about him changing her clothes in the middle of the night? Heck, he did not even put on a pair of trousers on for her. What would she say about that?

She was most likely to blow a fuse.

Finally deciding on what to do, Itachi rinsed himself up and dressed up. Fortunately for him, she was still fast asleep on the couch when he stepped out of the bathroom fully clothed.

Before he left for Central City College, he left Sakura a sandwich he made himself. And with one last look at the young lady, he was off to Central City College… Specifically the Siren College building inside the CCC campus. He had brought his compositions with him and he planned to lock himself inside a room to finish his song.

He made his way across several blocks, carrying a messenger bag with him. As he rounded a corner, he found his blonde colleague opening up the bakery. Itachi knew Deidara was well aware of his presence but merely chose not to pay him any mind as he unlocked the front door of the bakery and enter without a word.

The darker of the two's paces slowed as he walked past the entrance of the bakery on his way to CCC.

The sound of chimes jingled behind him. "Leader wants to see you tonight," the younger said.

Itachi stopped fully, taking into consideration what he just said. Surely, Deidara would have to answer to Pein if he didn't show up like he ordered him to. He was always like that—subtly taking out his anger on the first person he sees.

"Kindly inform him that I am not available tonight," he started, his voice remaining dry as ever. "I will meet with him when I find time and that will not be in more than a week."

He resumed walking. Deidara's eyes were on his back, Itachi knew. It was just at the back of his head. Though tempted to glance back at him and tell him to go about his business, he let the younger have the satisfaction of simply glaring at him right now. He didn't have time to pick with him, anyway.

()

The sight of an empty living room greeted her as her eyes fluttered open. A warm feeling washed over her and she was certain it had nothing to do with the warm glow of the morning sun penetrating through the window and into the living room. However, at the same time, she felt a draft… Or maybe it was just her.

It took a while before her eyes fully adjusted to the light and as she lay on the couch, she continued to wonder why the hell her head hurt so much. Nothing was going to make her head feel better if she just stayed on the couch though, she thought. And so, in one swift move, she pulled the covers off of her waist and grimaced when she found her bottom-half unclothed.

What happened last night, anyway? And why did her cheeks burn whenever she tried to recall?

She ran a hand through her messy pink locks and looked to her feet. A pile of clothes were carelessly placed on the floor just by the end of the couch. Something inside her told her that looking at them would help enlighten her of the happenings from last night. And so, she scooted over to the end of the couch and picked the pair of trousers up.

They were slightly wet which means it must have been raining last night. The trousers did not help at all save for the fact that they were her pair. She folded them neatly and made a mental note to wash them later. Next, she picked up the shirt which seemed a bit familiar.

She held the shirt before her and frowned when she realized it was inside-out. With a groan, she pulled the outsides back out and almost gasped when she had seen the front. This was the shirt Itachi had bought for her to change in last night. And she, in fact, did change in it. And it just occurred to her that changing was not the only thing that happened in the bathroom last night.

A groan escaped her lips as she remembered herself begging Itachi for more after the first kiss. She felt a heat in between her legs as the feeling of Itachi's manhood against her core rushed back to her.

Well, this was just great. After he finds her crying in the rain because she discovered her boyfriend's secret affair with her schoolmate, she ends up having the hots for him. That sentence didn't sound right in so many ways.

_I must not be right in the head_, she thought to herself. The thought of her engaging in such an act with Itachi once more felt so wrong yet right at the same time.

This was not good. This wasn't supposed to be the trail of thought she was supposed to go down. She was supposed to be thinking about her medical mission that was going to happen in just one more day.

Yes, the medical mission—her three days away from Itachi—that should do her some good in forgetting about whatever happened in the bathroom. She should really begin packing her clothes for the trip. However, just as she was about to head for the bedroom, the sound of her empty stomach reminded her that she had not had breakfast yet after all her fretting over last night.

She let her feet take her to the kitchen and found a sandwich on the table made by Itachi, probably. There was a note beside the plate with a nearly incomprehensive and formal handwriting on it. It looked as if he were in a hurry when he scribbled the note down.

_I'll be back at 5:30. Be here. _

Where had he gone to, anyway? It wasn't like he had classes today. It was a Saturday, after all. But still, she didn't know his schedule so maybe he did have classes.

In the next several minutes, Sakura found herself consuming the sandwich slowly, wanting to appreciate the food he prepared for her with every bite. She looked out the window and wondered about Sasuke.

_Sasuke,_ she thought to herself. Now that she was thinking sober, she finally realized how dumb she was for believing that someone like her could change Sasuke. No, it could never be her. He turned her down once. How stupid was she for thinking that he had changed his mind about her?

Maybe it was just Sasuke's fault. She did everything she could for him, after all. Sacrificing her plans just to meet him halfway—she did that a lot. She did nothing to upset him, she was confident about that. Maybe it was just his choice. It was his mistake for letting her go.

No matter how much she wanted to tell herself that, Sakura couldn't bring herself to blame him. It wasn't his fault she was boring, dull, too caught up with her dreams and easily attached. It wasn't the breakup that upset her. It was how she found out, how it happened and how she finally came to see the light.

_Naruto_. The name echoed in her head. A genuine smile formed across her lips as she recalled in her head the sound of Naruto's voice as he told her everything about Sasuke last night. Yes, she could remember his trembling voice over the phone. She knew he was worried about how she would react and she knew that he was surprised about her almost-calm reaction. She was too. But then again, maybe she expected it from the very beginning that's why she didn't feel as much pain as before?

Or maybe it was because of something else?

No, there was no other reason for her to feel less pain than expected. Or was there?

_Itachi_. Now that guy was a person she never imagined she'd be thinking of in her time alone. Why did the name suddenly cross her head while she was on a certain trail of thought? It wasn't like Itachi helped cushion her fall when she found out about Hinata. It wasn't like she knew he would feel concerned about the issue.

However, she was sure she saw a hint of concern in his eyes before she left the table to run in the alleyway. There was something there and it was a feeling that involved her and she was quite sure that after all the gang business he's been through here, it was probably the first time he had felt like that in a very long time.

Brushing the thought aside, Sakura pushed her chair back and brought the empty dish to the kitchen sink for washing. After a few minutes, she decided it was high time she did her laundry too. It would be embarrassing to have Itachi wash her underwear for her. That was for certain.

She spent the whole morning washing and drying her clothes by the window in the kitchen, listening to whatever song played on the music channel on TV. When she felt fatigue creeping in, she would take a few minutes to rest in front of the television and just watch a whole episode of a cartoon before resuming her task.

By 3, she was done cleaning everything, including Itachi's bathroom and kitchen. Rummaging through the bedroom and the living room didn't feel right. She was afraid to come across anything she mustn't come across or anything that would peak her curiosity. The framed pictures of him and his younger brother were already enough to drive her mad with questions.

And with the pictures bothering her, she turned down the volume of the television and approached the shelf filled with frames of pictures and certificates. She first scanned through the certificates that either had the words _Best in __ or _Champion_. No certificates that implied he was ever in second place which was very impressive.

Her eyes shifted to the frames above the certificates and found pictures of Itachi receiving awards and standing side by side with Sasuke. There was also one of him cradling a very young Sasuke against his chest. The length of his hair was similar to that of the length he kept now and he wore it in the same way—in a pulled back ponytail.

Another caught her attention, and this time, she intended to study the picture longer. She could never do it with Itachi around the house. It always felt as if he was going to order her to pay no attention to the pictures and just go on with her business.

It was an old candid photo of a very young Itachi on his toes, trying to get a glimpse of, whom she guessed was Sasuke, who was in the arms of a very beautiful dark-haired woman whom she assumed was their mother. His mother's eyes were on Sasuke, looking at him as if he were an angel with a smile that could melt the heart of their test proctor, Ibiki. His mother was beautiful and she wondered if that's where Itachi and Sasuke both inherited their natural appeal from… Not that she was saying that Itachi was handsome. Maybe he got it from his dad. She couldn't tell. There wasn't a single picture of him on the shelf or anywhere else. What did his father look like?

Where were his parents anyway?

As if he was going to tell her such personal information.

She turned her attention to the clock. It was still 3:30. Sakura decided to take a long shower after an episode of Champion Chef and be dressed by 5:00 and wait for Itachi to return from there on. And so, with that planned out, she jumped back on the couch and switched the channel.

He was almost done with his song, counting in the melody he had heard in his dream… His mother's melody.

Now he remembered how she used to sing it to him and Sasuke to lull them to sleep at night. Even after falling asleep as a child, Itachi swore he could still hear her voice through the night. It made him wonder if she stayed beside them the whole night, singing the song over and over again.

And what if she did? Would it make Itachi more heartless for what he had done several years ago? After she stayed to protect them from the shadows that lurk invisible in the dark of the night, he repaid her by burning and drowning her with the rest of their clan. It was unjust, he knew.

His heart wrenched a little and a chill ran down his spine as he recalled hearing the screams of her mother…He heard her but he did not save her. He couldn't. As far as he could remember, she was already trapped in the party room, flaming debris falling upon her and everyone else in the room. There was no way he could have gotten to her in time.

The thought of his mother's death drifted away when the classroom door slammed open against the wall behind it.

"Excuse me," the guy in the doorway said. His uniform was not of the Sirens. He looked more like a Da Vinci-an, one who came from the arts and design college part of the CCC. "I am Takahashi Kanzuo, the Vice President of CCC Student Council. I'm sorry but you have to leave. We're clearing out all the rooms in every building for tonight's festivities."

Itachi nodded at him once. "Of course," he said quietly before getting up to pack his bag and leave the room. The vice president thanked him courteously. He gave him a dismissing wave but never looked back.

As he walked in the wide hallways of the college, he could not help but look down on the Common Grounds that was located between all 7 buildings of Central City College. It was wide and at least half a kilometer. Events and celebrations that involved the whole of CCC normally occurred in the Common Grounds. A stage for entertainment would be set up in front of the Main Building and stalls and booths would border the perimeter.

As of now, the people who were at present in the Common Grounds were Student Council officers, professors and moving staffs. They were setting up for CCC's grand night tonight.

Itachi, however, was not one to celebrate such things with other people. In fact, he rarely celebrated anything at all. During the Freshmen Acquaintance Party, he was recognized as the only freshman who didn't attend the party.

Rounding the corner, he caught a glimpse of the wall clock just above the elevator as he waited for it to stop on his floor. It was 4:30. He suddenly wondered what would make the perfect dinner for tonight. There was a delicatessen shop somewhere nearby that sold affordable pastries and other delicacies that were meant to last for at least 3 days.

But walking to that shop meant he had a longer distance to walk home since his apartment was west of CCC but the shop was in the far east. If he were to walk home, he would arrive sometime around 5:45 but if he took a cab, he would arrive before 5:30 and have just enough time to prepare.

And so, when he'd finally had it all planned out, he started for the shop, carrying his pack on one shoulder, avoiding empty alleyways and streets. If he wasn't careful, an Akatsuki might catch him and force him to report to leader.

No. Not tonight.

After crossing a few blocks, Itachi pushed open a glass door that led right into the haven of delicacies. There were not a lot of people who knew about this place and it was supposed to be kept that way for there were people who labeled this place as their secret hideout.

Today, there were not a lot of people inside the shop. There were only two students in separate tables and a couple occupying one booth. Typical.

"How may I help you today?" Asked the man on the counter. He prepared his tray as he watched Itachi select from the overhead menu above him.

"I'll have an order of Delicacy Set C. Please replace the Chocolate Biscotti with a serving of Strawberry Shortbread," he paused for a moment, looking again at the menu. "Also, an order of cinnamon rolls and Sunday Quesadillas."

When the employee asked for a moment to retrieve his order, Itachi brought out his wallet and pulled out the exact amount to pay the man with. He smiled at the picture of his mom and Sasuke that he had kept in his wallet through the years before shoving it back down his back pocket.

The man returned with a big paper bag in his hands, the name of the shop printed in an elegant font in the middle of the brown bag. Itachi inspected his order first before paying the man what he was due and was off to hail a cab.

The sky was beginning to darken a little and he saw a shade of orange somewhere in the horizon. The sun was about to set. He needed to get home fast. And with that being said, a cab stopped in front of him and he immediately slipped himself in the front seat.

During the whole ride, he kept wondering if Sakura were to appreciate his choice in pastries and food. Not that he wished to please her just for the sake of pleasing her but it was to get to her better side just in case she thought negatively of the events that occurred last night.

He arrived in front of his apartment in no time at all, thanks to the taxi driver who really knew his way around the city.

Upon unlocking the door to his unit, he found an unconscious Sakura on his couch although not in the way he had left her this morning. She was properly dressed and was sitting on the couch with both feet on the cushions while her head was leaning against the back rest of the sofa. The orange glow of the sunset defined her features dramatically, making her look like a real dream. She was wearing a puffy white blouse with army green skinny jeans on and a pair of boots placed on the floor just right in front of her.

He wondered why Sakura was sleeping sound on the couch when his note said he would return at approximately 5:30. But his question was answered when he heard a ringing sound from the clock in his living room. His house clocks were set 30 minutes advance for him to avoid being late in class and meetings.

Itachi moved to the kitchen, grabbing a backpack near the shelf filled with pictures on his way and moved the contents of the paper bag in the pack quietly so as not to wake the lady in deep sleep. He then slipped in his room and searched for the Siren hoodie he had bought a year ago and a blanket which he had placed inside a smaller knapsack.

When everything else was prepared, he stood behind the couch and leaned over to whisper in Sakura's ear.

"Sakura," he said in a voice ever so smooth and gentle.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name slip from his lips and when she found his face inches away from hers when she opened her eyes.

He regained his normal posture and walked away from the couch to retrieve the hoodie and the smaller knapsack from the kitchen and handed it to her. "Wear this," he told her as he tossed her the neatly folded hoodie. "And do not forget to carry this. Hurry up or we'll be late." After placing the bag on one end of the couch, he proceeded to put on a pair of shoes, not even bothering to look back and Sakura asked what they were going to be late for.

Zipping up the hoodie over her blouse, Sakura pulled the hood on over her head, making it so that her hair was fully concealed along with her forehead. She then stepped into her boots and pulled the zippers up as well before slinging the knapsack over a shoulder.

Itachi already had his pack on one shoulder as he opened the door for Sakura.

()

It took the both of them nearly 30 dead silent minutes to arrive to their destination. Of course, Sakura didn't know they were at their destination until Itachi had pulled her in a very tall building near the alley where Itachi hid her the first day they came across each other.

The whole place looked like a shabby run-down condominium which had not had new occupants in the last couple of years. Sakura would bet her whole wardrobe that not even half of the building was currently being used.

"Good evening," greeted the manager behind the counter as he waved at Itachi courteously. It looked as if they paid no mind to Itachi's coming in and out of this place though he was obviously not a resident.

The dark haired man faced the manager and ordered Sakura to stay in the middle of the lobby as Itachi approached the counter. It did not take long for the two of them to finish whatever they were talking about.

Itachi led Sakura to the elevators where they waited for at least a minute for the lift to stop at the ground floor. He entered first, pressing the button numbered 28 as the doors closed after Sakura managed to pull herself in quickly enough.

There were only two of them in the cramped and tiny space of the elevator and they were to stay like this for the whole trip upwards. While Sakura stood inches away from the doors, she could see in the reflection of the stainless doors that Itachi was resting his back against the back wall of the elevator, looking back at her through the reflection.

She smiled at him weakly and avoided his gaze but when she looked back at the reflection again, his eyes were still on her as if he were a panther examining his prey.

_Ding_ went the elevator. Sakura finally let go of the breath she was holding unconsciously as the doors slid open. She jumped out of the elevator almost too eagerly.

Where the elevator led them was a small space behind a glass barrier with a glass door in the middle. On the other side of the barrier, however, was a wide space. No doubt, this was the rooftop and it was still a blur why they were here and how the hell they were to go to the other side because the door was locked when she tried to push it.

"Do not force it," said Itachi as he motioned for her to step aside. From his back pocket, he managed to pull out a key and unlocked the door. "Go on ahead."

Sakura pushed the door open and was met by a cool breeze that swept her hood away from her hair, leaving her locks messy and tangled from being kept under the static-prone cloth. "What are we doing here, Itachi?"

He didn't answer her at once. Carefully, he dropped his pack in the middle of the area and went to see the view over the barriers that stood at the perimeter. She followed instantly, pulling off the sleeves of the hoodie as she walked, and upon reaching the same place Itachi had been standing, she could have sworn that at that very moment, her heart had been taken away by Central City.

It was already dark and it was the first time Sakura noticed it not for the city lights that shined brightly from the city down below. The roads were clearly distinguished thanks to the careful placing of streetlights. She could see a large fountain—a very tiny one from the view up the building—illuminated by a dozen floor lights from a distance and she guessed that was the famous CC Park. However, there was one part of town that was not as bright as the others.

"Why isn't that place lighted like the others?" Sakura asked innocently, pointing at the spot that stood out from the rest.

"It is usually as bright as the others," he started. "But not tonight. You will soon find out why." He turned away from her while she continued to muse over the view, still not over the fact that Central City was a very beautiful city at night.

However, she was aware that the more beautiful it was at night, the more dangerous it was too. Half of the city must have criminals walking around. Everyone was an easy target at night too especially those who had just come home from work since they were exhausted and their alertness is reduced by almost half.

She sighed, again noting how different the area she pointed earlier to Itachi looked. Sakura squinted her eyes in hopes to figure out what the place was but to no avail. There was nothing to indicate what the site was. All that she could see were seven large buildings that formed a circle, leaving space in between them.

Finally, Sakura turned her heel to help Itachi in whatever it was she had been hearing him do while she had been looking out at the view but when she had faced him, he had already spread out the blanket that apparently was in the bag she was carrying. He was now on both knees, pulling out the contents of the pack he was carrying, laying it all in the middle of the blanket.

When he was done, he walked away from the blanket and stood near a small platform where a satellite dish was placed and leaned over to push something. In an instant, an emergency light that hung on the glass barrier flickered on, giving light to the very spot Itachi had placed the blanket.

He returned to the blanket wordlessly and took a seat. "Dinner is served," he told her as he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

Slowly, Sakura approached the blanket and smiled at what he had prepared for dinner. There were two plates of quesadillas set before him and the other was clearly meant for her. The other foods in the middle of the blanket were mostly pastries and she doubted he bought them from Deidara's.

After finishing the quesadillas, Itachi offered Sakura with a plastic cup and poured in the apple juice he had packed in the bag the last minute.

"I'm sorry," she said before taking a long sip from her cup. He only tilted his head at her, a clear sign for her to continue. "What happened last night was… Well, I shouldn't have done that. I was drunk, I know. But I'll admit that I..." She trailed off and swallowed. "I may have known what I was doing too… And I'm sorry."

His eyes were on her for a long time. The silence made her uncomfortable and she tried to ease herself by drinking more of the juice.

"You must not apologize, Sakura," said Itachi, reaching for a cinnamon roll. "There is nothing for you to apologize for. In fact, I should be the one to ask for forgiveness."

"Why?"

He took a bite, not minding her until he had swallowed the cinnamon roll. "First of all, I changed your wardrobe last night without your consent. Second, I am sorry about what Sasuke had done." Her eyes left his. "On Sasuke's behalf, I apologize. What he had done to you was unforgivable and unjust."

"You don't have to ask sorry for him. What's with you and Sasuke, anyway?" Her hand reached for the shortbread but before she managed to grab one, she halted, realizing what she had just asked him.

Another breeze passed them by, breaking the silence that Sakura's question had caused.

"I killed our family," he plainly said.


	7. Temptation

Hello, everyone! Happy Summer Classes to me! It's alright. I've got it covered. Here's the new chapter to You'll Be Safe Here! Have you listened to the song yet? Just Google "You'll Be Safe Here" by Rivermaya. I'm sorry if this chapter disappoints you but I tried my best to make it as entertaining as possible.

Tell my what you think of it! And yeah, answer the poll on my profile because I still don't know what fic I should start on next. Enjoy! Thank you all for supporting this story!

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**Chapter VII**  
_Temptation_

Sakura was imagining a million answers to her question regarding Itachi and Sasuke's relationship and she expected something bewildering but nothing of a sort like his answer. The breeze picked up turning into a weak but forceful wind.

Well, that kind of summed it all up. Now that she pondered upon the matter of Sasuke's parents, she never did once hear him speak of them nor did anyone other than Kakashi accompany him during parent-teacher assessments. Itachi hardly mentioned anyone else related to him other than his younger brother.

It suddenly occurred to Sakura that this man was capable of killing his own blood. He said it from the very first day—this city was no place for the likes of her who had a sense of _compassion_. Did he mean that he was one of the many people here who were… No. He couldn't have meant it that way, could he?

The very fact that he was able to kill his own parents sent a chill down her spine and had her heart racing. She swore if it weren't for the streets busy with activity, Itachi would have heard the pounding of her heart. However, despite the disturbed feeling she tried hard to bottle, she managed to keep her calm.

"Why? How?" Her voice was cautious as to not strike a nerve just in case he wasn't in the appropriate mood to stay and press the subject.

Itachi straightened himself and clapped his hands to remove the crumbs that had stuck on his palm and wiped his mouth with a napkin from his pack. "The story takes more time to tell than you think, Sakura," he simply said. "Are you certain you wish to spend your time on me, listening to my tale?" She merely nodded at him once. "Very well."

Sakura composed herself and allowed her body to angle at him. Her legs were crossed and her elbows were on her knees with a cinnamon roll clasped in her dainty hands.

"I shall begin at the very beginning, then," he started. "Ten years ago, I lived in Konoha with my family and most of the Uchiha clan. Other relatives resided either in Central City or in neighboring towns. Our clan, to be honest, bears a great sense of pride and tends to be rather competitive whether it be schoolmates or colleagues at work. My father used to own a powerful dojo back in Konoha and always won during matches with other dojos which is a fine example of our pride.

"I was his prized possession and he developed some obsession with, pardon me for my arrogance, my superiority among the other members of the clan. Sasuke, even, he did not pay any mind, unknowing of the child's potential.

"While father insisted on pushing my younger brother aside, mother and I did our best to make him feel like he was still family despite everything my father would say to and about him. However, because of all the work needed done in the manor, my mother usually left me to play and take care of Sasuke. The kid is, without a doubt, skilled in academics and has potential in martial arts as well. We would spend half of the week, studying and training in the dojo. There were times he asked me to teach him but I would usually be busy when he does and I greatly regret ignoring him all those times.

"My father one day decided to hold a reunion for the whole clan on a cruise ship. And so, they pushed through the plan. The night before the reunion, a man, featuring all the characteristics of an Uchiha, came to our doorstep and I was the one to answer the door. He offered me freedom and a little _fun_ for the party that was occurring the next day. I was wary of him. I was not one easily fooled however, I went with him, just for the sake of curiosity on what he intended to do.

"The next day, all of us boarded on the cruise and surprisingly enough, the mystery man, whom I identified as Tobi that morning, had boarded as well. Sasuke and I were supposed to spend the whole cruise together with our parents but unfortunately, the man from last night watched me through the afternoon and as an attempt to protect Sasuke from him, I kept brushing him off that day.

"And then the time came. He had told me that it was merely a small prank—a practical joke if you will. He asked me to drop the lighter and cause a small commotion in the ship. He handed me a lighter and pushed me to throw it on the ground but I had no intentions of doing as he pleased. I planned to throw it out the sea and have Tobi arrested but things went horribly wrong. Just as I was about to throw it, Sasuke called out my name. I was startled and I dropped it on the floor by accident. He cried, asking me why I was doing it and ran away.

"My carelessness got the better of me. When I ran after my little brother, I had completely forgotten of the fire that started and that spread through half of the main deck in a split second. I looked for Tobi but he was nowhere in sight. And so, I continued to look for Sasuke, wanting to save him first before anyone else. I heard my mother screaming for help but when I found her, it had been too late. The doors were blocked by firing debris from the inside. I then heard Sasuke and when I finally caught a glimpse of him, he had already jumped for the water.

"There were only three of us who survived that accident and up until now, the case with the police have not yet been closed. They still have not found the true culprits of the fire and they're only lead is my brother, Sasuke, who have not disclosed with them any information about us. It is most likely because he thinks we were already killed along with everyone else.

"I sought refuge here in Central City, not knowing how in the world I should face my brother. Hatake Kakashi and I went to the same high school and though we were not at all close in any way, I asked him to look after Sasuke. There was no one else I could trust. Next to me, Kakashi was next when it came to discipline and academics. And now, the only thing I am waiting for is the right time and way to face my brother."

Her eyes remained on his after his story. The calm he forced to keep was a mere façade. She could see it clearly in his face. Behind his onyx eyes, there were tears and pain. For years, he had been keeping all this to himself and now that he had finally found a way to vent it, all his pent up emotions seeped out as well.

Several minutes passed with nothing but heavy silence weighing in between the two. It was only then when it occurred to Sakura that his answer and his explanation did not match.

"You didn't kill them," whispered Sakura, her eyes glued on his unusually different face. He did not remain calm this time, letting his eyes grow wider than usual. Realizing he'd let an emotion slip, Itachi looked away and cleared his throat.

He met her eyes again. "It's what Sasuke had been thinking all these years," he answered back. "I know my own brother."

"He's been making paper boats, Itachi," she finally confessed. "Paper boats that he never let touch water. Do you suppose there's some connection? Because I can clearly see one."

Again, silence fell upon them. It was becoming apparent to her that Itachi didn't want to talk about it anymore. And so, deciding not to press on it further, she didn't speak any longer and merely waited for him to talk to her.

Meanwhile, the image of Sasuke folding a paper boat in the middle of class inside his head was quite pleasant. Despite the boat accident, Sasuke never stopped practicing his origami skills, did he? It touched him deeply to know that his brother never dared to forget every single thing he had taught him as a kid.

"Sasuke…" Itachi let slip out as he sighed. "I forced it upon him to learn how to fold an origami. I primarily taught him how to fold a boat before anything else although he had never perfected it. His boats seldom floated atop water properly. I and my mother would…" He stopped at the mention of his mother and Sakura saw him wince a little.

He avoided her gaze and looked out into the space behind her. Noticing his withdrawal, Sakura made an effort to slowly pull him back in the same track in a different direction. "Your mother was very beautiful," Itachi then looked at her quizzically. "I saw her picture back in your place."

"Dear mother," he whispered to no one in particular before fixing his expression to a passive one. "What time is it?"

Sakura pulled out the phone she'd been keeping in her back pocket the whole night and checked her messages in the process. "It's about 8:55 on my watch. Why? Do you have to meet with your classmates or something? Because I really don't mind. You can go on ahead. I'll clean up here then I—"

Itachi cut her off with a silent shake of his head before reaching for their cups and pouring in apple juice. When he opened his pack to return the juice, the case of his flute had fallen out.

"Is that what you play?" Sakura asked only to be answered by Itachi with an obvious look. "Can you play me a short song? Right now? I don't mind if you don't want to. I just really wanted to hear you play it." She scooted closer and smiled at him when he reached for the case and opened it.

It was a long silver flute with his initials at the other end of the mouthpiece. With just one look, Sakura knew that the flute had not been bought by him. Rather, it was a gift to him, probably by his parents.

He placed it in front of his lips and started to blow gently at it, letting his fingers press the appropriate holes. Whatever he was playing had her in a trance, reminding her of an enchanting night in a park where one lonely girl sits on a bench beside a lamp post, waiting for whatever to come. As the tune grew lighter and more graceful, she had imagined a man—a tired man—walking to sit beside her because he was tired. It was then when their hands mysteriously made contact with another and without a word exchanged, the two had entwined their fingers with the other's.

Her trail of thought had ended when the music ended in a very alarming way—it just stopped. It was like a radio playing a song and someone just pulled its plug. It was very disappointing how the song ended. Sakura felt his eyes on her and she looked back at him.

"That," she whispered, watching him watch her lips move. "It was beautiful."

While Sakura expected him to say something about the song in reply, she also expected him to pull her in and just succumb to the butterflies she knew they both were feeling. And though it was more likely for the first one to happen, she suddenly found Itachi's lips pressed against hers with his hands on her neck, pulling her in.

Before she could even close her eyes to enjoy the feeling of his lips, she heard an explosion from behind her, accompanied by a flash of blue light from behind. She pulled away from Itachi and turned her head around, nearly gasping when it happened again…

Fireworks.

The sky was suddenly filled with exploding lights and Sakura could not help but smile at the sight. It had been a while since she last watched a fireworks display. How long has it been? Two? Three years? Red, blue, purple and several colored lights illuminated the night sky.

Is this the reason Itachi had brought her up here? To watch the fireworks display?

It was so unlike Itachi to do something like this but she somehow felt special to him… Or maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe he just required company while he watched the fireworks though he never struck her as the type to like such festive lights.

"Why are there fireworks?" She asked him in a voice that she forced to overpower the sounds of the explosions. She turned to him only to find his gaze fixed on her which did not surprise her for this was the third time tonight she had noticed him staring.

Itachi shrugged lightly. "It's CCC's Foundation Day today. I have never been one to join the celebration of such things."

She smirked at him. "And now?"

"I still choose to not celebrate such events," he remarked, catching her off guard. "I merely brought you up here for other reasons."

"Like?"

Again, he raised his shoulders subtly. "I sensed you were still put off by the sudden news of my brother's lack of faithfulness?" The sudden change in her expression confirmed his suspicion. "It was a mere speculation and I figured a little time away would aid in your journey to recovery."

"Thank you for this," she said after letting his words register in his head. "But I know you're only doing this because it was getting to irritating to see me moping around like I did back at the inn."

"Not at all," he answered. "For some reason, it seemed too troublesome to see you so… Off. I simply wished to make you forget. You are a beautiful lady with a soft heart, Sakura. You deserve more than Sasuke had given you."

At his statement, Sakura couldn't help but look away from him. Sure, she knew she was meant for a bigger person. She was well aware now that Sasuke had not given her enough credit for what she went through for him. There was another person out there, waiting for her. However, that was not her priority as of the moment and even if it were…

Barely over a whisper, she said to him, "There is not one person in this world who will give a girl like me what I deserve. If he's out there, I'll never find him."

For a moment, it looked as if Itachi was going to say something however; the next thing she knew was that his lips were on her forehead. They remained like that for a moment, Itachi's lips lightly touching her skin.

"You only have to stop looking," he whispered, his lips never leaving her forehead. "He will come to you soon."

The fireworks display continued while the two of them sat on the cloth he had set underneath them. When it was all over, darkness fell upon them once again along with another silence that stretched for what seemed like an eternity.

It was only then when he separated from her and looked at her for a brief moment. She was flushed and tense—her posture had said it all. She was sitting still in front of him, her gaze wavering. It was as if she didn't know if she should look at him straightly in the eye.

To break the silence, Itachi began picking up the small pieces of trash that they had set aside during the meal and threw them in a small paper bag he had pulled out of his pack. "We should leave before 10. The city's crime rate is at its highest before midnight," he spoke in a tone that was unsurprisingly calm.

"Of course," as she stood up, she picked up some of the other wrappers she had left lying around earlier. As they cleaned up the rooftop, none spoke.

Sakura refused to look him in the eye for some reason she could not comprehend. Was she feeling anxious in his presence now? How could that be? Maybe it was because of… Everything he had said and did this night? She didn't know how to feel about him. Hell, she didn't even know what she had to think.

On the other hand, Itachi was merely avoiding her to prevent questions from rising because there were still questions that he had no answer to until now. Like why the hell did he bring her up here in the first place? What was she to him? And what pushed him to trust her with his story? It was not like they were ever going to see each other again after this encounter… Not that he hoped they wouldn't. She was pleasant to have around if one knew what subjects to avoid when conversing with her.

In fact, he didn't mind having her stay in his place for a little longer. Sadly, she was only going to be around for a few more days and then they were going to part ways… Probably forever. Was he actually feeling sad because of that? Why was he even thinking about it?

It would be nice to be alone again. Feeling cold and wary during the night… Waking up in the morning with no one to talk to. Yes, that would be nice. No one to look after and no one looking after you. Yes, that is so much better than having a beautiful lady in your apartment, sleeping in your bed every night. If only she could stay a little longer.

"Would you like me to?" Sakura asked Itachi, snapping him out of his trail of thought.

He inwardly shook his head and turned his attention to her, noting how she still had not met his gaze since after the fireworks. "Pardon?"

"I said," she started. "I can carry your pack for you. You look a little pale. Would you like me to carry it for you?"

Itachi shook his head and grabbed the pack she had picked up for him and led her to the glass door. That was it. They were leaving. The night was over. It was time to get home and carry on with their lives.

As he waited for the lift, he turned to Sakura, ordering her to put her cap and hood on. "You will get off at the third floor and I will get off at the lobby," he told her. "You will take the emergency exit on the second floor and exit the building. You know the way back home, don't you?" She nodded. "We can never be too careful."

"About what?"

"Kisame," he answered. "He lives on the 2nd floor. He's my partner."

Sakura mused quietly at the new information. So maybe that was why the man in the lobby knew him so well. Did he spend a lot of time in Kisame's place? It was highly unlikely the reason was to visit. Maybe Itachi hid here at times. If so, did Kisame pay random 'visits' at Itachi's as well?

She managed to pull herself back to reality when she felt Itachi nudge her side with something cold and metallic. When she looked down, she wasn't at all surprised to find him handing her a pistol to keep.

()

As the lift landed on the third floor, Sakura didn't bother looking back on Itachi seeing in the reflection of the elevator doors that he was not paying attention to her this time. There was no reason to anyway. For all she knew, she could bid him goodbye and he would ignore her. She felt a bit half-hearted though leaving him there without a word and so she turned around.

It was too late however, the doors were already half-way closed though she swore she saw Itachi looking at her thoughtfully for a second before he changed his expression into a passive one.

She began to wonder, as she turned her head to look for any sign that would indicate the location of the emergency exit, if Itachi set aside his passive mask whenever he was alone. Did he smile when she was not home? Did he let expressions that gave away his emotions cross his face? Did he allow emotions at all?

And then the feeling of his lips against hers rushed back and before she knew it, she felt her blood rush immediately to her cheeks. Feeling like such a foolish love-struck child, she shook the feeling off. Not that she was in love with him or anything… It was just that he always seemed to know when she let her guard down.

For crying out loud, it wasn't the first time he'd done it!

But that was just it. Uchiha Itachi had kissed her before and had the nerve to do it again. She was beginning to wonder if there was something else to it. Haruno Sakura was a 17-year –old after all. She knew how to pick up on these things. It was only worrying that she might read something that wasn't there in the first place.

_For real_, she thought to herself. _A man such as Uchiha Itachi falling for a little girl like me who can't even handle herself properly?_ It was next to absurd but it didn't seem impossible. A part of her wished it was so because whenever she tried pulling the feel of his thin lips on hers, she wished for more.

Finally finding the emergency exit in the end of a corridor, she pushed open the thick metal doors and descended the stairs casually as if she'd been up and down the stairs for quite a while now.

She was careful with her steps as she let herself mind bring her back to the man that was Uchiha Itachi. The story of his past was disturbing… He claimed he killed his family when in fact, it was only an accident. Surely, Itachi didn't mean his family any harm? Not his little brother and mother especially? From what Sakura gathered from their previous talks, Itachi seemed to love Sasuke very much.

And wait… He said there were three survivors? Who was the other one?

As Sakura finally reached the ground floor, she unlocked the exit and walked out of the alleyway beside the building and started for Itachi's apartment, passing by the front of the building as she did so, seeing Itachi just stepping out of the elevator.

He instructed her to walk home alone and she supposed that even though she could wait a few seconds to walk with him, there was a reason why he had her walk home first. And so, without looking at him for long, she clutched the pistol that she'd been keeping in the pocket of her hoodie.

()

Itachi fixed his pack and left the building to follow Sakura, allowing some distance between the two of them as they walked. He was quite amazed how even without instructions, Sakura was wise enough not to look back at him while walking.

If he didn't know any better, he would mistake Sakura for a man. Not that she did not have any curves at all. It was just that underneath his hoodie, her figure was well-hidden… That petite yet very shapely figure of hers.

Flashes of the incident in the bathroom at Erika's inn crossed his mind, reminding him of just how silky her flesh felt underneath his touch. He was reminded of how she tasted when she permitted him to enter her mouth and ravish it with his tongue. She was exotic. She was divine. Sakura was perfect.

Unconsciously, his eyes fell on her hips that swayed as she walked. It was such a giveaway that she was a woman underneath all that clothing and the more obvious she made her feminine moves underneath those clothes, the more suspicious she would look.

There was no helping it, was there?

With an inward groan, he advanced his paces until his chest was inches away from her back. He knew Sakura acknowledged his presence when he felt her body tense.

"Keep walking," Itachi whispered to her, placing both his hands on either side of her hips, forcing her to keep them from swaying.

The pink-haired teenager seemed to tense even more when she felt his hands still her hips. Not even Sasuke held her like this. She shifted her posture a little to prevent Itachi from feeling her stiffness but to no avail. He still managed to feel her when he whispered to her, "Relax," in a very dark but velvety voice.

And with that command, Itachi's thumbs slid up and down her hips as she walked. For some reason, this seemed to make it easier for her to comply. The longer distance they walked, the more Itachi's hands seemed to slide subtly to her pelvis but with his thumbs rubbing her in the comforting manner they did, she couldn't bring herself to care.

However, the closer they got to home, the more she seemed to want. His grip on her hips was firm but gentle. It made her wonder just how he would handle her if…

No way was she thinking about that!

Itachi stepped to her side, letting one hand release her hip, leaving the other snaked around her back, still holding her hips. This time, it was not controlling. It felt like a more protective hold on her part though she did not want to assume anything. His thumb managed to find its way underneath her hoodie and blouse. He was now caressing her bare skin and it felt even better than it should and Sakura was somehow feeling afraid about it feeling nice.

The moment they stepped into his apartment, Sakura wasted no time in changing her clothes, stripping off Itachi's hoodie to leave it on the armrest of his couch before she made a beeline for his bedroom. Behind her, she shut the door before she rummaged through her clothing.

To her surprise, the Uchiha opened the door nonchalantly, not caring whether she was dressed or not given the direction of his eyes were focused on his dresser. A creak sounded and Sakura had taken a wild guess that Itachi sat himself on the edge of the bed.

Turning to face him, she said flatly, "You know, if you wanted to change your clothes first, you could have just said so."

"It is _my_ bedroom that you decided to rush into," mocked Itachi as he bent over his dresser to pull out a grey shirt. "Continue if you please. I will be leaving after I retrieve a change of garment."

_Fine_, Sakura thought. If he insisted to do so. She turned back to her bags and spent a few seconds digging through her clothes and huffed in exasperation.

"Something the matter?" asked Itachi as he shut the drawer with his foot before stepping behind her.

Almost immediately, Sakura slammed her bag shut, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "No, nothing's wrong," she chirped. "It's just that I'm out of sleeping clothes is all."

Itachi noticed her grip on the bag loosen and took advantage of the opportunity to pull the bag open from underneath her hands and found a silky garment atop of all her other clothes. Sakura managed to push him aside though and shut it back close.

That certain piece of clothing had been a birthday gift from her best frenemy, Ino. Before Sakura had arrived in Central City, she had no idea she would be remaining under the same roof as he was and so she felt no reluctance to carry it with her since she thought there was no one who was ever going to lay their eyes on her in those pyjamas.

But now, the situation was entirely different. What had she been thinking when she brought those along with her? Then again, she never saw Itachi coming into her life so soon. And why did Itachi matter in this trail of thought anyway? Setting him aside as a problem to deal with later on, she continued to push him aside as she stalled, thinking of alternative clothes to wear while sleeping.

All she had stored in her bags were jeans and stylish tops that were nothing short of impractical for sleeping.

"Interesting choice of clothing," Itachi muttered thoughtfully before he stepped behind her.

Turning her head slightly to see enough of his expression, she spoke. "You seem rather amused, Itachi." The gleam in his eye confirmed her assumption. He was surely enjoying teasing her, wasn't he? Finally, she decided to turn away from him before she saw anything else in his eyes.

She felt him lean over her shoulder, his warm breath on her earlobe before she heard him say in a low tone, "I wouldn't mind you wear it for tonight seeing as you also have no other option."

Before she could even react to his statement, he had already left the confines of his room to change in the bathroom.

Itachi was right, she thought as she pushed the door closed. She couldn't wear a see-through blouse with a pair of jeans while she slept. There was no other choice but to wear the lingerie pyjamas that Ino gifted her. Or she could jump out of the window and just get it all over with. No. That was not an option. She still had the 3-day medical mission to commence on Monday.

Monday… Hold on, what day was it anyway?! Swiftly, Sakura pulled out her phone to check. It was Saturday already, wasn't it? Only a few more days and she would be out of Central City. Her mind brought to her ideas to ponder on as she made her way to sit on the bed.

So far, no member of the gang, Akatsuki, pursued her. Excluding Itachi. But she did not exactly consider it _pursuing_. It was more like he was keeping an eye on her through her stay in Central City. It was most likely that the reason behind the peace of her stay was because the other members of the gang must have been convinced that Itachi would hunt her down.

That's what she heard during her first day here, after all.

However, what if Itachi had been keeping her in here and was merely waiting for the right time to kill her… To catch her off guard. If that were the case, she would have been dead weeks ago. Around him, she strangely felt safer than in danger. The reason for that was unknown and it scared her that she felt so relaxed around him. Why was that?

She admitted that despite Itachi's background, current affiliation with the Akatsukiand stoic personality, Itachi seemed like a trustworthy person. And from what she knew, he could be as protective as a father if he wished to. Or maybe it was only her opinion since she had remained with him for quite a while now.

He was damn attractive, too. Maybe that was the reason why she somehow felt a magnetic pull and was convinced that she was safer around him. What did his looks have to do with this, anyway?

And then she gave herself a mental slap. Surely, she did not just describe him as attractive?!

_Damn attractive_, corrected a voice in her head.

Slap!

There would be no more thinking about Itachi in that way any longer. Not that it affected her that much but it was certainly wrong to entertain the thought. If she ever did entertain it, she would just be complicating things for herself. He was Sasuke's older brother after all. She didn't want to make it look like she was hitting on Itachi after Sasuke broke up with her. And she wasn't even hitting on Itachi! She didn't even see him that way.

But damn. To have a boyfriend li—

Thankfully, the door opened before she was able to finish that thought. The person who walked in the room did not at all help in making her forget about her problem… If it even was a problem. No, it wasn't. And she would make sure that it would not become one.

Why was she so persistent in pushing it aside? It was only a small crush, when she thought about it. Unless it had developed into something more over the last week. No.

"I'm going to change now," she announced to him before pulling her pyjamas out of her bag and dashing into the bathroom.

* * *

It was truly unbelievable how that woman managed to amuse him so well by the littlest and most meaningless actions. He was growing fond of her, that he would not bother denying. She was quite pleasing to have around. Or maybe it was merely the years of lonesome living that was speaking. Whether it be or not, he was sure going to miss her company when she finally left for home again.

He shook his head. How foolish of him. The very fact that he thought of missing her only meant that he was getting attached to her. The last time he had gotten attached to a lady, she had interfered with Akatsuki's plans and got herself killed. The worst part was Itachi did not do anything to stop it. Maybe he _was_ as heartless as he made himself to be.

No, that was not true. If he were heartless, he would have let Hidan kill Sakura the first chance he had gotten. He wouldn't have bothered keeping her in his apartment, let alone sleep in his bed, if he had no heart.

Why had he done it? It was not like he knew Sakura and he definitely did not know he would grow so fond of her. So why did he do it?

And then the answer crept to the surface. He was tired of feeling like this—guilty for all the lives Akatsuki had taken to replace those that he had lost. Two wrongs did not make a right, after all. He killed his family and had burdened the guilt for a year or two before Tobi founded the gang. Being a psychopath that he was, Tobi somehow talked him into replacing their lives, convincing Itachi that his guilt would go away. However, after years of living like this, he finally realized that it did not make a difference. It only made things worse.

It was time to end it. However, there was no escaping Tobi. Itachi was Akatsuki's priced member and Tobi would not let him away from his reach. Not until the psycho was finally satisfied with the deaths he had caused or tied down by the police. However, calling the authorities to arrest him would also lead to his capture.

But maybe, if he were to return to Konoha with Sakura. After all, she would not be here for long anymore and since he managed to let himself get attached, he might as well follow her to her home which happened to be his home too. That would be nice, wouldn't it? And easy too.

When was Sakura leaving, anyway?

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and answered the unregistered number that blinked on his screen.

"Hello?" Answered Itachi.

"Meet Pein at the junk yard tonight," said the voice. "It's an order."

Before Itachi could even reply, he had hung up already. It was Tobi. There was no mistaking it which meant he had no choice. If he did not come to Pein, Tobi would have to come to him.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed his jacket from the coat rack and shut the door behind him loud enough to let Sakura know that he had left.

The crisp evening breeze blew his hair out of his face. However, the stronger it grew, the more tedious it had become. Itachi pushed his hair in his jacket to prevent it from flying all over him. When was the last time he got a haircut, anyway?

He was quite thankful that Pein chose to meet at the junkyard tonight. It wasn't that Itachi liked going to there. It was just that the junkyard was a lot farther than the city dump was but it definitely was a better place for meeting considering it was Akatsuki's main territory in the first place.

As he crossed the street, he caught sight of a familiar man near the entrance of the junkyard. The burly man standing regarded him with a nod. Of all the members in Akatsuki, this man, Kakuzu, was one of the members he certainly did not like conversing with for too long if not at all.

It seemed to Itachi that the man was displeased. It was probably because he had been disturbed by Pein to open up the area for them. Kakuzu had a general disliking for Pein mostly because lately, Pein had been holding back from handing over Kakuzu's salary until he killed the second to the last remaining member of the other gang. And if the target were to be killed by someone else other than Kakuzu, then he would not receive what he was due.

"Leader's waiting," said Kakuzu, his voice conveying a stony edge. "Make it quick."

Itachi acknowledged him with a curt nod before proceeding into the junkyard and letting his feet take him to the trailer where they held their meetings. As he walked through the piles of scrap and metal, he had passed by another trailer, quite smaller than the one they usually met in. It must have been Kakuzu's. It was the first time he had seen it.

Kakuzu had volunteered to watch the junkyard for Akatsuki to keep him from spending money for rents and electric bills. However, this was the price—having to stay in a cramped space with the responsibility of living and guarding the junkyard from any gang who wished to take it from them.

This place was the ultimate haven for the likes of them, after all.

As he reached the other end of the place, he turned to his right to find a small passage created by Kakuzu that led to the other trailer where they kept all their weapons and stolen goods that were meant to support the gang.

The door was wide open and Pein was standing in the doorway. When Itachi had presented himself, the leader turned away from him and walked back in the trailer. Itachi followed after him and shut the door behind him.

Inside, there was only one table with 10 different chairs surrounding it. Pein took a seat in the far end of the table and made no move to have Itachi do the same.

"Have you found her?" Pein asked.

Itachi stilled. He was not surprised to discover that the meeting was going to be about their "targets" but he was rather shocked at his own reaction to Pein's question. "Not yet," he answered briefly. "But I think I've heard rumors about a certain woman coming to and fro a hotel in the Fran District," he said. "The Fran District is the tourist spot of the city and has a dozen hotels. We can start looking there if we wish to find her fast. She is, after all, a mere tourist. She must be staying there."

It was not the first time Itachi had led them away from a target and he was not scared to do so again. The problem was, after the countless times he had done it to protect innocent students and women, would Pein still be convinced?

"We have no more time for hunches and guesses," spat Pein in a very impatient tone. "We have a deadline to meet. If we do not gather the required lives, Tobi will not negotiate with the gang who has captured my cousin. It's been years since Nagato had been forced to join that gang and if we do not eliminate their enemies for them…"

"Rest assured that I have got the situation covered," Itachi said evenly.

The gang's goal was to save Nagato, their leader's beloved cousin, by eliminating the gang that posed as a threat to the gang Nagato had been initiated in by force. However, because the members of the target gang were insufficient to the number of deaths the other gang asked for, they were forced to kill civilians as well.

At least, that was what Pein and the other members had been informed.

Akatsuki's real reason for establishing was because of the accident and only he and Tobi knew it. Killing as an amendment for those he had killed in the past… Now that Itachi had thought about it, the idea made no sense. How could he have let Tobi manipulate him for so long?

Itachi was tempted to ask if they could not simply target another civilian and get it over with. It was easier, after all. But asking Pein about it would only raise suspicion. And then there was the Akatsuki code.

Sakura had interfered and now she was a target. There was no helping it.

The other target was going to be caught soon and he would have to make a choice before that time came. What was he to do to get the whole business to be done with? He was tired of it.

He had two options. One, he could talk Sakura into returning to Konoha and thus, ending his problem. If anyone were ordered to go after her, surely no one would be able to succeed in getting in Konoha considering that they required identification cards to be able to screen who comes and leaves. Any member who would come after her would fail and they were most likely to change targets. But it came to his attention that the teenager was stubborn as she could if she wished it. How was he going to talk her into leaving?

Second, he could always kill her.

The latter sounded temptingly easy.

* * *

A/N: Check out the poll on my profile and tell me what you think of this chapter. Ciao! I love you all!


	8. Who Saved Him

Trust me when I say that I totally rushed this story. I'm sorry guys but there were just nights when I would open Word, look at this story and just space out. I didn't have enough inspiration to finish this story. By the way, this chapter is just a transitional chapter so it was really hard to make it long for you guys. Again, I apologize for the great delay. I won't be promising any more update dates.

Again, this is a transitional chapter. Not much happening here. Just a chain of events and such.

Review and check the poll. I really need more answers on the poll. /3 Love you all!

* * *

**Chapter VIII  
**_Who Saved Him_

Sakura was pretty sure it had almost been an hour since Itachi left the apartment. Since then, after she stepped out of the bathroom, she made a beeline for the bedroom and jumped on top of his bed on her stomach without a care. He was not around to see her, anyway.

Rolling off of her stomach, she noted how silky the fabric of these pyjamas felt against her skin even though it barely covered her arms, her stomach and legs. And then it struck her. She was lying on top of Itachi's bed clad in nothing but a pair of silky pyjamas composed of a sleeveless hanging top and a skimpy pair of shorts both in the same pale hue of beige and both threaded with maroon laces at the hem.

In what century did Ino think she would find this choice of attire useful? After her unofficial breakup with Sasuke, she felt her self-esteem drop to an all time low which she thought was impossible because her self-esteem had been low enough before.

Well, there was Naruto who once had a crush on her for years. That, at least, should have made her feel better because at least he liked her for who she was… But it only proved to make her feel worse. Seriously, what was she thinking letting that thought cross her mind? Even though it was a long time ago, she had resorted to reliving the days when Naruto had pursued her persistently.

Now, there was no one. That was the truth. That, she didn't have to force upon herself.

But what about Itachi? He'd kissed her more than once tonight and she was pretty sure he'd been trying to tell her something with all those actions… Or maybe he was not aware of him doing so. Or maybe he simply wished to play with her while she was vulnerable.

Knowing Itachi from the past weeks, she knew he was not one who gained satisfaction in fooling others. What had he to gain, after all? Physical contentment? The thought of Itachi playing around with a lady in bed was nothing short of ridiculous.

So if he was not trying to mess with her head, what was it with him lately? Did he even realize the things he'd said and done earlier?

It suddenly occurred to Sakura that he could be aware of his actions and he was probably trying to make her conscious of them. Perhaps there truly was something he wished to convey to her. Perhaps. It was still too soon to draw conclusions. She did not want to make the same mistake with Sasuke…

Not that she was hoping for something to blossom with Itachi or anything.

Realizing where her thoughts had brought her, she managed to pull herself back to reality before her head began entertaining thoughts that were not supposed to be thought of in the first place. How the hell did she end up thinking about that, anyway?

With a loud groan, she got up and went to the living room to turn on the television.

Unsurprisingly, there was nothing interesting in the local news so she switched channels and settled for an old comedy sitcom her parents had her watch with them when she was still in elementary. She let the show take her away for a moment, allowing frequent chuckles slip from time to time.

It wasn't too soon when sleepiness crept up on her. Just a quick shut-eye, she promised herself before shutting the lids of her eyes, and then she would return to the bedroom and get some sleep. Unfortunately, that quick shut-eye quickly turned into deep slumber.

()

The sight that had greeted him in his apartment was far from what he had imagined as he walked back home.

He imagined sleeping in an empty living room, forced to use his hoodie as a blanket, because Sakura had left the door to his bedroom locked, denying him of the image of her in lingerie sleepwear. However, that was not the case. There she was, on the couch, exposed to him like he wished unconsciously, too deep in her sleep to even hear the opening and closing of the front door.

Knowing that she was out, he let a smile play on his features before he approached her on the couch. The television was turned on and he assumed she had fallen asleep while watching TV without even knowing it.

Crouching down to meet her face, he could see her features up-close. Her brows were furrowed and it made him wonder if something made her feel unsettled before she managed to fall asleep. For all he knew, it could have been the thought of him that bothered her. After all, he did not seem nor act like himself tonight but how conceited was he for thinking that she was actually thinking about him.

And then he saw it. Her head was awkwardly bent against the armrest of the couch and he figured it must have been uncomfortable for her to lie in such a manner. She could have been lying down in a proper position earlier but somehow fell into this position moments after.

Without thinking twice, Itachi let his arm snake around her back and the back of her knees before he hoisted up, savoring her body warmth as he slowly carried her in his bedroom. Her head fell on his chest and her hair was just below his nose. It took his all not to lean in and smell her scent for he knew if he did so, he would be too intoxicated by it to think straight. After all, this little lady right here had done weird things to him without even doing anything.

Slowly, he made his way to one side of the bed to settle her on the mattress so gently as not to wake her from her sleep.

Unfortunately, she stirred and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Itachi…" she said barely over a whisper when she saw him standing beside the bed.

He turned away from her and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Get some rest," he ordered before he took a step forward only to be stopped by the sleepy girl. Her hand was tugging the hem of his shirt lightly.

"Stay," she told him unconsciously, obviously still more asleep than awake.

A smile formed on her lips when she felt the mattress shift. He sat on the edge of the bed, just in front of her shin.

Itachi's thoughts were torn. Even though Sakura was wearing such a skimpy and… _Mature_ outfit, the smile on her sleeping features made her seem like such an innocent child who had just been tucked in bed by her father. What a contrast it was and it was refreshing to think that whatever Sakura was in—generally speaking—she was still going to be the same—naïve, childish, ignorant and oh-so innocent. It was like she chose to not grow up.

If that was the case, then not growing up certainly worked out well for her. It suited her, to say the least..

"Will you play something for me?" she murmured almost incomprehensively. "Just something to help me go back to sleep."

Itachi doubted she needed any more help in sleeping. Sakura was merely talking in her sleep, he knew. The sight of him must have triggered some sixth sense in her and convinced her that this was all a dream. Whatever the case was, he had no second thoughts in gracing her request.

"What do you wish for me to play?" he asked quietly, his voice much gentler than controlling.

She shuffled to her side and tucked her hands under the pillow. Sighing blissfully, she answered. "That song from earlier. I wanna hear it again."

It did not take too long for Itachi to retrieve the music sheet and his flute from his pack. He returned to the bedroom only to find Sakura shifted to her other side, now facing the vacant space on his bed.

He sat on the edge of the bed in front of her, settling the sheets on the mattress before looking at her, his gaze staying on her legs a little longer than they should have. Sakura, once again, muttered something but this time, he found it impossible to catch.

Convinced that Sakura was still awake in her sixth sense, he began playing.

The melody rang through the four corners of the room. He admittedly found himself indulged in playing for his companion, letting her enjoy the music in her sleep. She stirred a bit, allowing herself to curl on the mattress comfortably, her smile growing as the song continued.

However, at the abrupt ending, Itachi saw the frown that crossed her features for a moment.

"You'll stay, right..?" her voice remained quiet and it occurred to him that it could just be his imagination that produced the sound. "You'll stay?" she repeated, canceling out the idea of his imagination toying with him.

"If you wish it," he murmured, gathering all the sheets before placing them on the side table with his flute. How he wished he could ask her the same thing but bringing up the topic would make him seem suspicious.

While he could not deny that he was somehow attracted to her, he was still wise enough to know that the chances of this working out was probably one in a million and he was still uncertain if risking a million for one chance was worth… But considering that he had actually considered risking something meant that Sakura must have snuck somewhere deeper in his system.

It had to stop.

But not now. He would not at least deny her request. From now on, he thought, he would let her choose for him. If he wished for him to keep close to her, he would do so. If not, then it was just as well.

He climbed up on the other side of the mattress, suddenly feeling how little the space was left for him. Itachi was not particularly used to sharing a bed, that much was true. And so, the thought of him sharing the same bed with her made him feel like his own bed was smaller than it seemed. He was not complaining. Despite the lesser space she had left him with, the bed seemed more comforting and warmer with her on it.

"Goodnight," Sakura mumbled.

Noting the way her top had ridden up to her rib from all her shuffling, Itachi pulled the covers from underneath her petite form and tucked her in, covering all the exposed skin from his view. God knows what he would do to her if he spent another minute running his eyes over her creamy skin.

As tempting as it was, he knew his limits. Sakura might have not objected when he planted a number of kisses on her tonight but touching her so boldly without the influence of alcohol or anything else that could tamper with one's proper thinking was not a thought he sought to entertain further.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

()

The first thing that registered in Sakura's head when she stirred to a dazed state was the warmth she felt around her. Still half-asleep, she unconsciously drew her body closer to the source of the warmth. It was only when she felt her face against a hard fleshy wall that she realized just where the warmth was coming from.

Her eyes snapped open. Sakura could feel the blood rush in her cheeks when she registered the fact that she had been sleeping against Itachi's chest, unconsciously seeking out his warmth through the cold night, no doubt. Her arms were around his neck while she found one of her legs trapped between his. Soon, she realized that her head was rested on his arm which had been folded under his head while his other arm was on her waist.

Slowly and gently, Sakura brought her head up to inspect her legs only to find a blanket covering her bare thighs. He must have covered her last night before he fell asleep. The last thing she could remember was asking him to stay in the room an—

Oh no.

That was exactly why Itachi was here, wasn't it? She had asked him to stay with her in the room. Itachi probably did not know it was a subconscious wish and did as she asked him to.

She gave herself a mental slap for being such an idiot last night. What else had she told him? There was no use in thinking about escaping their position right now for they were simply too tangled up in each other—literally.

There was no choice but to wait for him to wake. It made Sakura a little curious as to how the ever so cold Uchiha would react to waking up with a girl like her in his arms. The most likely outcome was him pulling away from her and the two of them would go on with their lives like usual. Yes, that seemed likely to happen.

Finally, she felt Itachi shift. Unfortunately, his hands remained in the same position though her leg was finally free. It won't take an hour before Itachi moves again and she could only hope that when he finally does, he would finally release her.

She sighed, letting her eyes shut for a moment, savoring the warmth that radiated from his body. Something felt awfully off although Sakura could not put her finger on it.

And then she felt it.

His breathing was irregular and not as relaxed as it was when she first realized his body was against her. He was finally awake. It took minutes before it occurred to Sakura that Itachi had no intentions of pulling away from her.

"Good morning," he muttered under his breath.

A chill went down her spine when he spoke. It was probably the sexiest thing she'll ever hear—Itachi's half-asleep voice.

"Uhm… I need to go to the bathroom," she said plainly hoping that Itachi would finally let her go.

Wish granted, he pulled away from her without a word and turned to his other side to face the other side of the room. With that, Sakura made a beeline for the bathroom before shutting the doors to wash her face. Surely, the cool morning water would do something about the red in her face, right?

As soon as she was done with everything she needed to do in the bathroom for the morning, she stepped out of the little space and walked to the kitchen only to find Itachi bent to take a peek in his fridge. His furrowed brows told her that there was barely anything in there to get them through the morning.

She made her presence known as she spoke. "I could run over to the bakery and get something to eat," she said. "Or maybe you'd like rice rather than bread?"

"That will not be necessary," he closed the refrigerator door and approached the cupboard and reached for two cups of instant noodles. "These will get us by. I will just do the groceries after breakfast." Itachi pulled out kettle from another cabinet before he poured in water and set it to boil on the stove.

The two of them sat in silence as they waited for the water to boil. The silence was far from comfortable but it certainly was better than an awkward and dead-end conversation with him. Itachi was a difficult man to get along with especially when one was narrow-minded… Like her.

As soon as the water was done, the two of them began to dig in their meals.

Sakura supposed she could ask Itachi to buy some supplies for her tomorrow while he was out to get the groceries. It would save her time while she packed for tomorrow, after all. There were still lots of packing to do. Her other shirts were kept in his empty drawers to save her the time of retrieving them from her bags.

She just realized how natural it was for her to just open his drawer and pull out a top. It was like she had always belonged here despite the fact that she had only been here a couple weeks… And she was going to leave this city in a few days. Tomorrow was her first day in the medical mission, after all.

"Sakura?" he spoke from the other end of the table. She raised her brows at him when she realized he had been looking at her for a while now. "You have not touched your food."

She smiled weakly. Sasuke used to tell her that when she thought about their relationship at meals… That was then when she _thought_ they were so in love. "I was just thinking… Can I ask you a favor?"

"Hm?"

"Well," she stretched the word a little longer before getting to her point. "I was wondering if you could buy me a few things from the pharmacy. I need them for tomorrow." He raised a brow at her last sentence. Had she not told him about it yet? "My medical mission begins tomorrow," she answered his unspoken question. "Three days in giving free medical treatments to those who cannot afford it and after that, I'm going home. Today's my last day here."

It did not take more than a second for her to realize just how sad her last statement sounded. Sure, she and Itachi weren't the closest of friends but living with him under the same roof somehow felt natural to her.

Hoping that it was not too obvious, Sakura eyed Itachi's face, trying hard to find anything that was off about his expression that might betray his emotion regarding what she had just told him. However, his expression betrayed nothing to Sakura's dismay.

"Write down what you need on a piece of paper and I will take a short trip to the pharmacy before I return," he said plainly before getting back to his cup of noodles which he was almost done with.

She eyed him a little longer before she picked up her fork and began to eat. It was clear now that Itachi had not enjoyed her company as much as she did his though it was not at all surprising because first of all, she wasn't at all entertaining and second, Itachi was as hard as a rock and if he chose to be firm, he would… He always chose to be that way all the time, anyway.

"I'll hand you enough money to buy them too," she told him.

"Hm."

Silence once more passed between the two of them. After Itachi finished his cup noodles, he threw the Styrofoam cup in the garbage only to return to his seat across Sakura, focusing both eyes on her as she finished her meal.

"You will not return here after the medical mission?" He finally asked, drawing a shocked expression from the pink-haired woman from the other end of the table.

Her eyes widened at his question. She was not expecting him to ask something like it and she certainly was taking note of this day. With a grim expression, she shook her head in response. "There is no reason to," she said. There really was no reason to. She knew that question had just been a gesture of formality. Of course, Uchiha Itachi did not wish for her to stay here any longer than she already had. She was a hassle on his part.

He nodded at her once before looking away from her, averting his gaze to the window. "We must talk about how you will go through the medical mission," muttered Itachi. "Check your phone's battery every now and then and recharge if it needs energy. You will need it for I will have you update me on everything happening on a hourly basis."

As she listened intently to Itachi's instructions, she continued to scarf down on her cup noodles. "By hour?"

"Aa. Is there a problem, Sakura?" She shook her head at his inquiry, noting the undeniable authority in his gaze when he looked back at her. "Also, you will not be talking to anyone else other than your companions and your patients. There is no reason to speak with anyone else irrelevant to your purpose there."

"What if a stranger comes up to me and asks for medical attention?"

"You will take the stranger back to the venue of the mission," he answered. "You will not attend to anyone who randomly asks for your assistance." He rose from his seat and walked out into the living room, continuing his instruction. "Also, the gun you received yesterday? You will keep it in the bottom of the bag you where you will put all the items you will need most. It will be the pack you will keep close or at person at all times if possible."

Sakura quickly ran after him. "When do you think it'll be of any use to me?"

He shrugged. "I am not certain but I am sure you will need it at some point."

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she had been humming the random melody in her head but she was pretty sure that it wasn't natural to be singing the same tune over and over especially when it was a mere tune she had come up with while she was in the shower.

As she finished packing her clothes for tomorrow, she zipped her bag close, leaving the change of clothes she would need for tomorrow's journey on the bed. Sakura hopped on the bed and folded the pair of jeans she prepared neatly before folding the rest of her outfit. Setting her jacket on top of the folded pile of clothes, she paused and took her time in inspecting the room.

There was not much that happened in this apartment and there was certainly nothing worth remembering in his unit—save for his collection of childhood photos—but without a doubt, she would certainly miss this room.

Letting a hand run over the covers of the mattress, she let a sigh escape her lips when she realized just how much she would miss the feel of these covers on her skin at night. She would miss the way the pillow felt underneath her head. And she would definitely miss the masculine scent Itachi had imprinted on the pillows.

As much as Sakura hated to admit it but it was his scent that put her at ease. When she sniffed his fragrance, she was reminded of the time he cradled her in his arms like a child. It was not the first time she had smelt his scent but it certainly was the first time she whiffed it from his body.

She turned her attentions to the pillows behind her. If she could just—

No! That was wrong! Did she really intend to lie on those pillows just so she could imagine herself against Itachi's chest more easily? It was not something a proper woman would do. Besides, what would Itachi say if he found out she'd been enjoying his smell on the pillows?

Choosing to not entertain the idea, she hopped off of the bed and headed to the kitchen, looking for anything that could suffice the subtle hunger she felt. After finding a loaf of bread on top of the fridge, she proceeded to brew herself a cup of coffee.

Not long after, she found herself sitting in the living room, enjoying the silence provided by Itachi's absence… Not that it was any noisier with him around but his presence irked her at times that she almost never felt peaceful with him around. Yes, she felt safe with him but she was restless deep inside for some reason.

The ringing of her phone took her by surprise. After retrieving the phone from the bedroom, she answered it and went back to the living room and enjoyed a long and interesting talk with her best frenemy, Ino, who thought it was a bright idea to contact her a few days prior to her return to ask for a souvenir from Central City.

"For the last time, Ino," Sakura hissed on the phone. "I am not buying you anything. I barely have enough money left for my remaining days here. Now what's this about Kiba being jealous?"

"Right," she answered. "Well, he's been texting me the last few days. Apparently, Choji's given him my number sometime ago and now he's asking for advice."

Sakura merely laughed at the very amusing image of Kiba asking for some advice from the personification of gossip. "Advice? What sort of advice is he asking for? Is he looking to date someone?"

"Yeah. Maybe the dog's just not right for him anymore," she kidded. "But Kiba and Akamaru have always been great pals. It's impossible that Kiba's gotten tired of him now. Look, the point is Kiba wants to date Hinata but apparently, someone's beaten him to it and I just can't seem to get the name out of the canine boy!"

The pink-haired teenager scoffed. "So much for being Konoha's gossip."

"Like you know anything."

Of course, the conversation had come to this. The topic was bound to turn up sooner or later. If she slipped out Sasuke's name, the news would be all around her blog by tonight but it was going to happen anyway. Should she tell Ino now or postpone her misery?

Deciding that there was no use in prolonging the problem, Sakura took a deep breath. "It's Sasuke. Hinata's dating Sasuke."

The other line was quiet after Sakura had spoken. If Sakura didn't know any better, she'd assume that Ino was already in front of her laptop, blogging about the news. However, that didn't seem to be the case when Ino spoke again.

"That's too bad," she said with a half-hearted laugh. "I mean I was ticked when you two started dating but I didn't think he'd cheat on such a nice person like you… You loved him so much too and—"

"I can't say I did now that I look back," she interjected. "It's okay, really. I'm doing fine. It's not like he's the only boy in the world."

"Still," Ino said quietly before shifting into a lighter mood. "Wait, those are the exact lines I said when Shikamaru and I broke up and found a hot guy in the mall. Are you seeing someone there, Sakura?"

"It's not that, Ino," countered the pink-haired girl. "Look, Ino. The point is I cared very much for Sasuke but I can never say that I loved him at all as a partner. He's a great friend and it was a huge mistake to get into a relationship with him. Now, tell Kiba to man up and fight for Hinata if he really likes her. That's all there is to it. I'll see you in a few days. Bye."

()

At the cash register in the pharmacy, Itachi acknowledged the politeness of the cashier. The price appeared on the screen and he pulled out his wallet, paying the exact amount. He hated calculating changes and today was no exception.

Sakura did need a lot of things for the medical mission and it occurred to him that if he did not offer his home as a place to stay, she may have not been able to purchase any of these items due to the rent she would end up paying in this place. The worst that could have happened to her was get stranded in Central City because she didn't leave enough money for her trip back to Konoha.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the figure of a man standing a few feet from the register, wielding a full-sized bat on his shoulder. Immediately, Itachi stuffed the paper bag that contained Sakura's medical requirements into his bag before approaching his partner.

"Did you need anything, Kisame?" Asked Itachi as he marched towards him. "It is, after all, not everyday you decide to meet with me."

Kisame smirked at his words. "Taro's dead," the huge man informed. "Pein's sending everyone else to kill the other guy and you take care of your own target. Pein told me that if you don't kill the mark he's given you in two days, you're dead meat." With that, Kisame turned away from Itachi and left the pharmacy. The call of his name from behind him did not catch him by surprise. This was just how his partner was. "What is it?"

"Stall," said the leaner man. "I will dispose of the girl in three days. In three days, she will be gone. Give Pein my word. I am merely tying up some loose ends before I go down with that kill. After all, after that, we still won't know what will happen to us. The gang that abducted Nagato, after all, is unpredictable."

"Loose ends?"

"College," he answered. "I must at least accomplish this."

Itachi took Kisame's words as some sign of understanding before bidding him goodbye and heading back to his apartment. Upon arriving, he found Sakura in the kitchen, washing the dishes she must have used for a small meal.

They regarded each other while he dropped the paper bag of the items he bought for her on the couch beside her cellphone. He returned inside the kitchen to unpack the groceries he had put in his bag only to be enchanted by the unnamed melody Sakura had apparently been humming the whole time.

As Sakura finished and walked out of the kitchen, Itachi grabbed her by the wrist which took her by surprise. Her whole body stilled at the contact. Itachi seemed to have noticed since he immediately pulled away from her and, instead called her name in a gentle manner.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "That song you were humming… What is it?"

She shrugged. "A small melody my mother used to sing to me when I heard thunder," explained the girl. "I used to be afraid of thunder and now—"

"Would you mind if I asked to hear it again?"

She shook her head, not really sure what was going on with him. "I'm not much of a singer but… Sure."

* * *

Itachi ended up spending the rest of the day in his classroom in silence. Luckily for him, his professor was in the campus as well. He would be able to finish his piece for his class and submit it just in time. It was all thanks to Sakura who had agreed to lend him the melody.

The melody was sweet, comforting… Just the way he wished to end his composition. He was thinking of officially dedicating his composition class to Sakura who had saved his ass from taking it again.

Sakura… The agony of being forced to kill such a beautiful woman who had shared the same home with him the last few weeks. The first time he had seen her, he was certain that it would not take a second to point his gun at her head and shoot her if it came down to it… But now, he was not so sure.

Apparently, Sakura had helped his little brother get through difficult times. She made him realize that he was not the cold monster he insisted himself to be… And also, she saved him from failing college completely. His sense of gratitude made it harder for him to think of killing her…

Also, she had a dream.

It was only now that he wondered how many of their targets had dreams. Did Taro have a dream as well? He was a student who had joined a gang because he thought he would benefit from it financially, according to Hidan who went in the same college he did… What did Taro want to do with the money, anyway?

And it was only after that thought when Itachi came to realize that he had a dream too. He wanted to be a musician and there definitely wasn't anything that could stop him from living that dream. Not even Akatsuki nor Tobi.

He had told Kisame earlier that he would get rid of Sakura in three days… When Sakura finally returns to Konoha, he would leave Akatsuki—for good. The day Sakura leaves for Konoha was also the last day of his class… Which meant if he were to submit this requirement, he would graduate on that day.

What would he do after that? Where would he find a stable job? It would be nice to work as a musician in a jazz bar but it would be too risky for him to stay here to work. If Akatsuki were to continue operating in the next few years, they were bound to get into some trouble, find him and drag him along with it.

It was very imaginable since it happened with their previous and now deceased member, Orochimaru.

Maybe it was time that he too returned to Konoha. It had been far too long since he set foot in the parameters of the town, too long since he felt the peace of the village despite the past he had experienced and too long since he had seen his little brother.

Brushing the thought aside, he played the sheet music which he finally finished with Sakura's song. When he ended with the last note, he dropped his flute into his pack, arranged the sheets of paper frantically before rushing out of the classroom to look for his professor.

Unfortunately, he found his professor in the theatre, in the middle of rehearsing a performance which meant he had to wait a little longer until he could get back home for his meal with Sakura. Yes, he and Sakura agreed to share a meal before she left in the morning.

He took a seat in the front row and waited patiently until they finished which they did soon. His professor did not miss his presence and approached him immediately after the number.

"Is there anything you need, Uchiha?" asked the professor. He handed the music sheet he kept in a cream folder. The professor opened it and marveled at the number of notes. "Lots of notes here, Uchiha. And I noticed your tempo is 2/4? How long have you been working on this piece?"

"Since the first time you gave the project," answered Itachi. "Since the first time I failed your class. I wanted this to be a perfect composition, the best you were to hear. And now, it is… But at a price."

His professor nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. "Here's what I want you to do," said the older, handing the folder back to Itachi. "Go up that stage and play this for me. I want to hear the whole thing." Itachi stared at him blankly, not quite believing his ears. "Well, you worked on it for years. You deserve the stage after working on it for so long."

With a nod, Itachi walked up to the stage, his phone vibrating silently in his pocket as he climbed the steps. Before taking the final step, he pulled out his phone and checked the message he received.

**From: **Sakura  
**Message: **Good luck! Come back soon!

He smiled subtly before walking to the center of the stage, placing his flute before him. He stood firm and with dignity but his shoulders were relaxed. The spotlight before him was blinding but he managed to keep his eyes wide open as he performed for his professor.

_For Sakura_, he thought to himself as he took a deep breath. _For the woman who saved me._ He blew into the mouthpiece carefully, doing his best to make the first bar sound calm and at ease before raising the volume on the next part of the song, clearly depicting the drama and the tragedy in the music.

_This is for Sakura who saved me… Me who was one step from drowning in the same whirlpool of sins as Tobi and saved me from the monster whom I thought was me…_

After the song, his mentor stumbled on his way to the stage to shake his hand with Itachi's. He seemed giddy and excited to the Uchiha and it made him smile a little inside. His music had brought tears to his professor and it was just about everything he wished to do.

"Uchiha Itachi," he said to his student, their hands still connected. "You are a musical prodigy! You are a genius and I don't know why I didn't see that before. You are the best I've ever had in my class!" Itachi kept his cool while his professor shook their hands frantically. "Listen, I want you to perform that song in the recital I'm holding on graduation day on Wednesday. It would be an honor to hear you play that song for the finale! What do you say?"

He shrugged. "I don't seem to have plans on that night so I assume it would be a waste to not go through with it."

()

Sakura struggled hard to balance the fork on her nose as she waited for Itachi's arrival. He told her he would be home by 7:30 and he was hardly ever late but the long hand on the clock was closing in to the number 6 and she was beginning to think if Itachi was flawed after all.

Not that he was perfect, he just seemed that way.

She shook her head upon realizing she had just thought that to herself. She must be going mad. Clearly, she needed some time away from the Uchiha.

The door sounded open, the fork she had been previously balancing on her nose clanking on the surface of the plate she set in front of her. _Hmm, maybe he is perfect_.

She got off of her seat and met Itachi halfway into the living room while he was removing his shoes on the couch. She stood beside the sofa and held each hand behind her. "So, how was it? Did you pass? How did your professor find your music?"

Itachi figured she must have just been making conversation and so, answered her briefly. "I passed. He found it good enough for a finale on the graduation recital night."

"Really? That's great! When's the recital?" asked Sakura, her eyes shining with excitement. At least, that was what Itachi thought he saw.

"Why are you looking forward to it?"

"Because you've been working really hard on it," she answered in an obvious tone. "Ever since my first week here, you've been busy doing that composition. I know how much effort you put into that song and I've seen how stressed you were over finishing that song. I want to watch you perform it in front of an audience and just how people will react to it."

Itachi paused for a moment before getting back on his feet to place his shoes near the doorway. He invited Sakura into the kitchen and both sat across each other. Itachi served himself a small portion of the steak he had brought back from the grocery while Sakura aimed for the soup.

"So, when is it?" Sakura said, breaking the silence.

Itachi swallowed the small piece he had been chewing before answering her shortly, "Wednesday."

Sakura's smile slowly faded from her lips as she spoke. "But I'm leaving for Konoha that day…"

"So it seems," he sassed, as if not wanting to continue this conversation any longer.

She forced out a smile before continuing with her meal. The rest of dinner, they spent in silence. Sakua did her best not to meet Itachi's eyes while Itachi did his best not to meet hers. He expected the meal to be a little more lively on her part but it seemed that his choice of words have shunned the teenager and blocked him out.

He just didn't want to think about her leaving. This place would be much colder without her around, after all.

After her meal, Sakura wiped her mouth with a clean napkin before excusing herself from the table to finish arranging her things for tomorrow's trip. Itachi did not wait until he finished his meal and went in his bedroom after her.

"I must apologize for earlier," he said as he stood in the doorway, watching Sakura throw all the medical supplies he had bought her earlier into her backpack without care. "It was very disrespectful of me to—"

"It's fine, Itachi-san."

The suffix after his name made something in his stomach tighten a little. He did not like the way she added the suffix. It was a sign of hostility… A sign of rejection. Was it because of his behavior earlier that triggered that hostility or was it something else?

"I truly apologize," he said in a more silent tone.

"Leave me," said Sakura, refusing to face him.

With that, Itachi had gone back to the dining table to finish his meal while Sakura stopped fixing her bag to sit on the bed. Seriously, if he didn't want her to watch, he could just have told her instead of acting like she was a nuisance all this time… Because from what had happened last night, she definitely felt like she never was a nuisance to him in any way.

Though Itachi slept beside her that night, both of them were facing opposite directions. Sakura kept herself on the edge of the bed. She hoped to not come in physical contact with Itachi as she slept but she knew her body and how it moves on its own in her sleep so she could only hope for the best.

Itachi, on the other hand, did his best to make himself seem relaxed on his side of the bed. His hands were folded in the back of his head while he stared blankly at the ceiling. Something told him this was going to be a long night.

* * *

Next chapter... Not sure when it's coming out. So, yeah. Review and check the poll. Lots of love, everyone. :)


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